Blessing or Curse?
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: Is coming from a wealthy family a blessing? Or is it a curse that can only bring unhappiness?
1. Chapter 1

"_**Each man is the architect of his own fate."**_

_**Appius Claudius**_

**Chapter I**

It's strange how one man can be so sure of his path in life and have his whole life turned upside down in a matter of minutes by a cruel twist of fate. Such was the case of Sesshoumaru Takahashi. There was nothing he hated more than not having control of his own life. The very idea of someone else having a say in how he lived his life made his blood boil, but someone making the most important decisions in life for him was something he simply could not tolerate. Unfortunately, when that someone happened to be his father, Sesshoumaru knew that fighting against his wishes was a battle he simply could not win.

Too much in his family relied on him. The oppressive weight of knowing that he had to live up to his father's expectations and surpass him hung over his head and there was not a day when Sesshoumaru did not wake from the blissful peace of sleep only to wish that he would not wake the next day. Even now as he sat in his office at the very top of the ten story building his father's company owned, he knew that all that stood between him and the end of oppressive lifestyle was a thin pane of glass. Although he wished his life would end every night, he knew that without him, the burden would merely fall on his brother, Inuyasha, and that was something Sesshoumaru knew his younger brother would not be able to cope with. He cared for his younger brother, but he would never admit it, instead letting foolish male pride come between them and drive a gap that seemed to widen with each passing day.

Frowning, he stepped away from the large windows that lined two sides of his office and sat heavily down in the leather chair that sat behind his enormous mahogany desk. He picked up the letter that sat on his desk and read it for the second time that afternoon. The problem with coming from an aristocratic family was that if he did not make his decisions fast enough, they were made for him and the fact that his father requested his eldest son's presence that evening for a meeting did not bode well for him. Sighing silently, Sesshoumaru placed the letter in a drawer and pushed it firmly closed, determined to get some work done before the dreaded meeting later that day.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

On the other side of the town, a similarly despondent figure sat hunched over a table in an ornately decorated restaurant. Brown eyes rose as the door slid open and the woman shot to her feet as she pasted a smile to her face and went to serve the new guests. Despite trying valiantly to hide it, the young woman seemed to have a heavy burden on her shoulders. She nodded and smiled at the regular customers as she passed, not once giving in the urge to turn tail and run out the exit, abandoning her home and family in the process.

Rin Ishikawa sighed as she finally left the restaurant many hours later and began the long walk home. Her parents were bound to berate her once again about her working and not being a kept woman like her mother. Frowning, Rin thought back on her life and wondered what God she had offended to get such bad luck. Orphaned at a young age, she had been adopted by a very wealthy couple, incapable of having children, but in need of an heir. Discovering she had no living family remaining, the couple chose her, but not out of sympathy as she had first thought. Wanting to keep the wealth within the family, they chose her simply because she had no family who would ask for support at every opportunity when she received the family's wealth. The couple had not treated her badly; in fact they had taken every opportunity to spoil her until she eventually refused to accept their spontaneous gifts and extravagant gestures of kindness. Wanting to remain a grounded individual, she explained that she did not need the gifts as proof that they cared and after several arguments about it, her adoptive parents had consented to only giving gifts on birthdays and Christmas.

However, as she got older, she began to realise that being a member of a wealthy was not as good as she had initially thought. Her father owned a large business that his family had been involved in for decades and her mother simply stayed at home during the day, happily tending to her precious garden. It took quite some time before Rin realised that her parents were very traditional as opposed to all the modern families her friends had. Her mother had taught her everything she knew about etiquette and social niceties, teaching her everything from a very traditional perspective. Rin was largely left to her own devices at school. She had been enrolled into a prestigious school for wealthy children and most students refused to associate with someone who had not been born into wealth, considering her to be beneath them.

Rin stopped as she faced the large gateway to her home and sighed again, not really wanting to go inside. For several years now, her mother had been complaining about her spending her day working when she should be at home while her father constantly told her that she should have found a husband by now. It happened nearly every day and it tired her beyond belief. When they weren't lecturing her on how to live her life, they were silent, ignoring her presence. Thus, she had taken to remaining in her room content to entertain herself with her books and whatever else took her fancy. Heaving a great sigh, Rin straightened her clothes and pushed open the gate and stepped inside, preparing herself for yet another lecture.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru sat stiffly in his father's study, waiting for the man himself to appear. He knew that there would be words about why he had not come to visit for a while and he also knew that his father would try to play off the meeting as something that wasn't as serious as the letter had suggested. He was tempted to sigh, but the door opened and the tall figure that was his father strode into the study towards him. Rising to his feet, he returned the brief hug his father gave him before sitting down and waiting to hear what was required of him this time.

Inutaisho eyed his son silently for a moment before clasping his hands together on the desk in front of him.

"It is not often that there is something about you that I have to criticise," he said in an unusually serious tone. Sesshoumaru was surprised at the conversation starter but refused to let it show and merely waited for his father to continue. "I have always thought that you would do what you thought best so that you could continue in my footsteps, but I feel that I must now step in as you seem to be veering away from the proper course of action."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I follow," he admitted quietly.

"I had intended to retire in a couple of year's time," Inutaisho said, watching his son carefully. "Naturally I was going to leave my company in your hands; I know you are more than capable of taking care of everything. However, while I understand that you have an immense pressure on you to surpass me; you are neglecting one of the key issues that a successor faces."

"What would that be?"

"You cannot be successful in continuing a family business if you have not thought about the basics of what a family business means." Inutaisho almost smiled at the looked of bewilderment on Sesshoumaru's face at that moment. "Sesshoumaru, running this business is not all about what happens now. What will happen to the company when you retire?"

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly at a seemingly obvious question. "It will go to my heir."

"Exactly," Inutaisho confirmed with a smile. "You are neglecting this duty and I have to step in unfortunately."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we will be visiting a family in the suburbs tomorrow so you will not be going to work."

Sesshoumaru paled as he realised exactly what this meant. "A-Arranged marriage?" he asked, stuttering for probably the first time in his life.

"This could have been avoided if you had considered this first before launching yourself into a campaign to surpass me."

Several hours later, Sesshoumaru sat in his living room staring up at the ceiling as he ran through the meeting with his father. Although he could understand that his father needed to keep the family's reputation intact in order to continue doing business with other wealthy families, it still did not excuse him going and finding a woman he thought worthy of his son. It was not his choice to make. It was he, Sesshoumaru, who had to make the decision of who he would spend his life with and while he knew that he should have address that a lot earlier, he had wanted to prove himself worthy of inheriting the company. Now, he was paying for his carelessness. Sesshoumaru knew that meeting the woman was irrelevant as the decision had already been made. All that remained was to find out when they were to be married. Sighing, he closed his eyes and prayed to whichever God watched over him that the woman would at least be bearable and not like the others he had seen his friends married off to.


	2. Chapter 2

"_**You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worth while."**_

_**C.S. Lewis**_

**Chapter II**

The day dawned bright, but bitterly cold and Rin sighed as she rolled out of bed. The day had finally dawned and she almost laughed at how nervous she felt when she thought about the day's events. When she had returned home from work, her parents had not lectured her nor had they ignored her. Much to her surprise, her mother had welcomed her home with open arms and pulled her into her father's study where they told her that the very next day, she would meet the man they had arranged for her to marry. After the initial shock of the statement had worn off, anger raced through her at the thought of them making such a decision for her, but she was ushered out the room before she could protest and as she sat contemplating the idea later, she realised that there was no use arguing as she would end up being brown beaten into marrying the man regardless of how much she protested.

She knew what kind of men her friends had been married off to and she wrinkled her nose in disgust as she thought of them. They had all been middle aged men, unable to find a woman their own age to marry and had resorted to an arranged marriage with a woman half their age. Rin was very glad that her parents were so conscious of the family's reputation and the idea of marrying off their only daughter to a rich middle aged man would probably not be seen as suitable. As she thought about the situation in greater detail, she froze on her way back to her room after a bath. While her parents were conscious of their reputation, they were also keen to get more money into the family so Rin marrying a rich middle aged man would be beneficial to them. The man would surely die before her and all his wealth would be left to her which in turn increased her family's wealth. When she reached her room, she knelt before her bed and said a prayer, hoping that her parents would not let their greed prevail.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru sat silently in the car beside his father as the vehicle came to a halt in front of a large gate. After a brief pause, the large gates swung open and the car moved forward up the driveway through a beautifully landscaped front garden. He stared up at the building looming above them as he stepped out of the car. Not only were this family wealthy, they were clearly very traditional as well which meant that their daughter was probably well past marrying age and had to settle for a younger husband so as not to disappoint her family. Feeling his father's hand on his shoulder, he nodded slightly and followed him towards the door where a servant was waiting to guide them through the house to meet the owners.

"I'm grateful that you considered this, Inutaisho," a shorter man said politely as he shook his hand.

"Not at all, Akira," Inutaisho said, patting the man on the shoulder as they walked forward into the room where the meeting would take place. "It is I who should be thanking you."

Rolling his eyes skyward, Sesshoumaru followed the two men after greeting the shorter man. As he sat quietly beside his father, he took time to consider the man who would soon be his father in law. He was thin and his pale skin made him look almost unhealthy. Grey hair covered his balding head, but his smile was genuine and friendly, despite the somewhat severe impression he gave.

"So you are Sesshoumaru?" Akira said suddenly. Sesshoumaru nodded. "You are so much like your father. I had not expected such a similarity."

"It is an unfortunate resemblance," Sesshoumaru said, not sure what to say.

Akira laughed. "Ah, good. You have a sense of humour, very good."

Puzzled by what the man could mean, Sesshoumaru said nothing. He had not intended to be funny, but clearly his statement had been taken that way. His future father in law seemed happy with the response so he supposed it made no difference what he had meant by the comment. Akira was about to speak again when he noticed suddenly rose to his feet.

"Ah, my wife and daughter have arrived," he said with a smile.

Sesshoumaru turned around slowly, almost dreading having to look at the troll of a woman he was sure to be standing beside Akira's wife. Following his father's example, he bowed to the two women. He tried to avoid looking at either of them until they were all seated and he knew he had no choice but to face his fate.

"Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru, this is my wife, Yuri, and my daughter, Rin," he said proudly as he gestured to the two women.

Feeling his father stiffen slightly beside him caused Sesshoumaru to look at him curiously before turning his eyes to the females. His eyes fell first on the plump woman beside Akira and as he took in her severe look, he prayed their daughter looked nothing like her. Slowly, his let his eyes wander over to the final person sitting opposite him and he felt them widen at the sight.

A slim dark haired woman dressed in the most exquisite kimono he had ever seen knelt beside her mother, her head lowered respectfully. At the mention of her name, her head rose and almond shaped brown eyes met his shyly. Had he been a lesser man, Sesshoumaru knew his jaw would have dropped by now. The beauty who sat before him was definitely not what he was expecting and part of him wondered how such a woman could have come from two such ordinary looking people. When she greeted them, he marvelled at the sound of her voice. It was almost melodic.

Rin sat quietly as she listened to the parents discussing the wedding plans, but she found her eyes drifting over to the man who sat opposite her. She had prayed all day while her mother fussed around her, ensuring that everything was perfect, that the man was not the same as the ones her friends had been married off to. Dread had filled her being as she made her way to her father's study with her mother, but she had been pleasantly surprised when she looked up to find a young man sitting opposite her. To say he was good looking was an understatement, but she knew no other way to describe him.

Once all the details for the wedding had been decided, everyone rose to their feet and made their way towards the front of the house where a car waited for Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru. As Akira and Inutaisho walked ahead, Sesshoumaru found himself walking beside Yuri and Rin and threw his future wife a look from the corner of his eye. Her eyes were cast down and her back was perfectly straight as she walked, but he was surprised to see that she barely reached his shoulders.

"We shall see you in a week's time," Inutaisho said with a smile as he shook Akira's hand once more and bowed to the two women.

"Indeed. It shall be a splendid event," Yuri said with a smile as she looked at her daughter. "I'm sure Rin is most excited."

At the mention of her voice, Rin looked up and glanced at her mother, nodding her agreement before returning her gaze to the wooden floor beneath her feet. Watching the meek gesture, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the timid girl had been forced into this in the same way he had. Although she had nodded her agreement to what her mother had said, her body language showed none of the enthusiasm Yuri spoke of. She had not smiled once and there was absolutely no indication at all of her being keen on the idea.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"That was a pleasant surprise," Inutaisho commented blandly as the car left the Ishikawa residence. "She was definitely not what I expected."

"Nor I," Sesshoumaru said quietly as he looked out the window, thinking about what his life would bring now that his future had been decided for him.

"She will make you a good wife."

"I hope so."


	3. Chapter 3

"_**Love gives itself; it is not bought."**_

_**~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow**_

**Chapter III**

In the days leading up to her wedding, Rin had tried to spend as little time at home as possible. She knew that if she spent too long in the house she would inevitably be dragged into helping her mother with preparations for the wedding and that was something she had no interest in doing. Fortunately, she managed to get extra shifts at the restaurant and she was definitely not going to complain if she got paid for all the time she didn't spend at home. Even though she prayed daily to whichever deity was listening, the day of her wedding arrived far too quickly and she found herself being fussed over by her mother once again.

"Stop fidgeting, Rin!" Yuri exclaimed in exasperation as she tried to tie up Rin's hair.

"Sorry."

Yuri shook her head at the girl. "I know you're nervous, but really, you have to look perfect!"

Sighing softly, Rin sat still as she watched her mother's reflection in the mirror. Who would've thought that a week can pass by so quickly? In just over an hour's time, she would be a married woman; married to a man she had met only once. Although she was not feeling terribly happy about the arrangement, despite the fact that her husband to be was a god in human form, she wondered how he felt about the whole arrangement.

"Let's go Rin," her mother said, pulling her to her feet. "Your father is waiting to walk you down the aisle."

Nodding, Rin stood up and smoothed the miniscule creases out of her long white dress. Truthfully, she was surprised when she found out that this would be a modern ceremony and she was so glad she wouldn't have to wear another of those uncomfortable kimonos for an extended period of time. After giving her a kiss on the cheek, Yuri disappeared into the church to take her seat in the front pew. Sighing again, Rin turned to face her father who stood beside the entrance to the church, smiling at her. She had always much preferred being in the company of her father, he seemed stern but in reality he was quite amiable when his wife was nowhere near. The pair of them had a very close relationship, much like a real father and daughter would, but Rin still harboured resentment towards him for making such a decision for her. Her wedding day was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, but here she stood, looking up at the building and wishing the ground would open up and swallow her.

"Let's go," Akira said gently, pulling down her veil and offering her his arm.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Inside the church, there was great excitement as the bride's mother slipped in to take her seat. Evidently everyone took it as a sign that the ceremony was about to begin and began to take their seats. Clapping his son on the back, Inutaisho took his seat beside his wife, Izayoi, while Inuyasha stood up and took his place at his brother's side, grumbling about having to take time out of his day for this. The doors creaked open and everyone rose to their feet as they turned to see the bride.

Sesshoumaru was surprised to see a completely different woman walking down the aisle towards him. Having only seen Rin in a kimono, it was strange seeing her in a strapless white gown. When they reached the altar, he watched Akira turn and lift her veil, kiss her cheek gently before sitting beside his wife. A smirk threatened to cross his face as he heard Inuyasha's intake of breath as Rin turn to face them. She had looked beautiful before, but now she was radiant. The corners of her mouth lifted just slightly as her eyes landed on him and he wondered what she would look like when she smiled.

It was hard for Sesshoumaru to keep focussed on the ceremony when he had such a beauty beside him. He was still not happy with his parents for deciding to make this choice for him, but he was grateful that she at least seemed to the same age as him. A frown creased his brow slightly as he realised that he didn't know anything about her. He was only assuming they were the same age, he could be completely wrong.

His attention returned to the ceremony when Inuyasha nudged him in the side, holding out the small box containing Rin's wedding ring. Picking up the ring, he took Rin's delicate hand in his and recited his vows as he slipped it onto her finger. When he was done, he held her hand in his, waiting to see what would happen next. He had not been to very many weddings in his life. In fact, the only ones he had been to were his father's when he married Inuyasha's mother and Inuyasha's when he had married his childhood sweetheart. Now he stood at the altar facing the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. Reality hit him hard as he stared at her as she recited her own vows in her soft, calm voice. How could she be so calm when this was such a life changing day?

Hours later, Rin sat beside Sesshoumaru at the table in the tent that had been erected in her parents' garden for the reception. She nodded at a waiter nearby who handed her a glass of champagne and waited for the inevitable speeches. Her eyes followed her husband as he rose to his feet when it was his turn to speak. It felt strange thinking of a virtual stranger as her husband, but she had had little choice in the matter, as she suspected he did.

"I have little to say," Sesshoumaru said and paused for a moment. "Thank you for attending, we are grateful that you could share our day. Finally, I thank Rin for agreeing to marry me."

Raising his glass in direction, he saw a blush creep over her face as everyone clapped and laughed happily as they began socialising. Resuming his seat beside her, he wondered if he should try a conversation, but was surprised when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to look at her and found her hand on his arm, a blush still staining her pale cheeks.

"Thank you," she said quietly and lowered her gaze quickly, almost as though afraid to meet his gaze.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, covering her tiny hand with his and giving it a squeeze.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

When the festivities drew to a close, Rin wondered what would happen next. She lived here with her parents and she knew nothing about where Sesshoumaru lived. Eventually, only the two families remained in the now empty tent and Rin sank down into the nearest chair, not caring that her dress would be creased. She would never have imagined that a wedding could be this tiring. Feeling someone beside her, she looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing beside her.

"What happens now?" he asked, voicing her question to the rest of the family.

"Actually, we haven't given you our gift yet," Izayoi said with a smile.

"Gift?" Sesshoumaru asked, exchanging a look of confusion with Rin.

"Here you go," Inutaisho said, handing Sesshoumaru a key ring.

"What's this?" he asked.

"The keys to your new home," Akira said with a smile.

"We all chipped in to make as nice as possible for you," Izayoi said as she and Yuri smiled happily.

"Off you go!" Inutaisho said as he and Akira herded the couple into a waiting car. "The driver knows where to go!"

Half an hour later, Sesshoumaru and Rin stepped out of the car in front of a large house about half way between both their parents' houses. The car disappeared as soon as they had stepped out and they were left alone. Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin and held out his hand for her. After a moment's hesitation, she took it and allowed him to lead her up the steps to the door. Unlocking it, he pushed the door open and switched on a light, illuminating a beautiful wood panelled hallway with an enormous wooden staircase in the corner. Rin gasped as she felt strong arms lift her up and she looked up to see Sesshoumaru looking down at her with a smirk.

"Might as well keep with tradition," he said quietly and carried her into the house, setting her down gently once inside.

Rin stared at him for a few minutes after he had put her down and then smiled for the first time. It wasn't the vague smile she had given him in the church, it was a genuine smile. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw it, but as quickly as it came, the smile vanished as she looked around the hallway.

"Shall we look around?" she asked timidly, looking up at him through her lashes.

Nodding, Sesshoumaru stepped back and let her walk past him into the living room. Her perfume floated up to his nose as she passed and he inhaled deeply, memorising the scent before following her from room to room as she explored the house. Eventually they reached the last door in the corridor upstairs and as she pushed it open, she gasped. Sesshoumaru appeared behind her and looked over her shoulder into the large bedroom with large windows that overlooked the gardens below.

"It's beautiful," she said quietly as she walked over to look out at the garden, bathed in moonlight.

"It is," Sesshoumaru agreed as he stood beside her.

"I want to change out of this dress," she said and looked up at him shyly. "Do you think there'll be a change of clothes here?"

"Probably," he replied, going over to the nearest dresser and pulling open the top drawer. "These are definitely my clothes. I wonder if yours are here too."

Rin watched in silence as he crossed the large room to the two wardrobes that had been built into the wall. Pulling the first one open, he recognised his suits hanging neatly side by side and closed the door to open the second one. Inside he found several kimonos of different colours and he almost smiled. Evidently she spent more time in kimonos than he had first thought if she had that many. She truly was a traditional girl.

"I believe these are yours," he said, stepping back and gesturing to the clothes.

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin approached and looked into the wardrobe. Her hands went straight to the shelves on one side of it and flipped through the piles of fabric there. Frowning slightly, she pulled her hands back and bit her thumb nail as she stared at the kimonos. Sesshoumaru heard her sigh softly before she reached up to pull down a pale blue kimono. He watched her disappear into the adjacent bathroom and return moments later, securing the kimono shut even though she had merely wrapped it around her like a bathrobe.

"Are you tired?" he asked as he loosened his tie and draped it over a chair beside the bed.

"A little," she admitted.

"We will probably have a busy day tomorrow," Sesshoumaru said as he leaned over to pull the covers on the bed back. "You should get a good night's sleep."

Rin looked down at the huge bed which stood between them and blushed slightly. "Is this alright?" she asked, nodding towards the bed.

"We are married after all," Sesshoumaru said with a shrug as he turned away, unbuttoning his shirt as he did so.

Rin blushed again, but couldn't fault his logic. She sat on the edge of the bed and marvelled at how soft it was before slipping beneath the covers. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she felt her weary muscles soothed by the comfort of the warm bed.

"Good night," she said quietly.

"Good night."


	4. Chapter 4

"_**There is always some madness in love.**_

_**But there is also some reason in madness."**_

_**Friedrich Nietzsche**_

**Chapter IV**

After a restless night, Sesshoumaru had finally given up on sleeping as the light of dawn crept through the closed curtains. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and as his eyes accustomed to dim light he suddenly remembered that he now shared his bed with another. As the thought registered, he looked to the other side of the bed and saw a small feminine frame curled up on her side. Light slowly filled the room as he stared at her, remembering the previous day's events. Her face came into view and her calm expression was simply beautiful and Sesshoumaru was hard pressed not to reach out and touch her skin to see if it truly was as soft as it looked. Shaking his head, he got to his feet, careful not to wake her and made his way to the bathroom for a shower. When he returned, he smiled at her still sleeping frame and tucked the covers more securely around her before leaving her to sleep in peace.

Several hours later, Rin woke up to find the bed empty. Eventually, she made her way downstairs after she had had her shower and found Sesshoumaru sitting in the living room reading a newspaper. Not accustomed to seeing any man other than her father this early in the morning she blinked stupidly as she stared at him. She shook her head and made her way into the living room, once again making sure her kimono was wrapped tightly around her.

"Good morning," Sesshoumaru looked up when he heard her quiet voice.

"Good morning," he greeted, taking in her appearance that clearly showed she had just emerged from a shower.

"Have you eaten?" she asked, looking around for traces of a meal.

"I was waiting for you."

Rin blushed. "I'll make some breakfast."

Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Sesshoumaru staring at the space she had occupied only moments before. After a couple of moments, he got to his feet and followed her into the kitchen only to find her already cooking.

"Was there something you wanted?" she asked, not turning around to look at him.

Briefly, he wondered how she had known he was behind her but quickly dismissed the thought. "I was going to ask if there was anything I could do to help."

Turning around to look at him, Rin frowned slightly as she thought. "You could make the coffee, if you like," she said cautiously.

She was surprised when he merely nodded and walked past her towards the mugs that she had set out for the coffee. Not knowing what to say, she turned back to the pancakes she had decided to make. While her back was turned, Sesshoumaru turned to watch as he waited for the water to boil.

"Do you cook often?" he asked suddenly, wonder why the daughter of such a wealthy family would know the basics of kitchen.

"Not as often as I'd like," she said in a distracted voice.

"But you do cook?"

"Mmm," she murmured. "I do some of the cooking at work when I work extra shifts."

"You work?" Sesshoumaru was unable to mask his surprise; she was truly turning out to be an enigma.

"Since I left school."

The quiet girl from the day before stood before him but was actually speaking to him and he knew that was a step in the right direction. Perhaps she had trouble starting conversations and left that to others? Regardless, now that he knew she would speak if he tried talking to her, he could find out a lot about her. As he thought over her comment about work, he remembered how he didn't even know how old she was.

"How old are you, Rin?"

"Twenty," she replied as she pulled a plate from a cupboard nearby. When she heard no reply, she looked up at him. "Why are you surprised? You're roughly the same age as me, aren't you?"

"I'm nearly 25."

"Oh! Well a five year age gap isn't that bad."

"You really aren't what I expected," Sesshoumaru commented as he watched her place a plate of pancakes in front of him.

Rin smirked, her hands on her hips. "What were you expecting?"

He frowned as he tried to put his previous fears into words. "I thought you would be a spoiled, overweight troll of a woman."

There was a brief moment of silence as Rin stared at him, blinking in surprise. Clearly he had not put much faith in his father's match making skills. As his words sank in, she couldn't help the smile that came to her lips before she burst into laughter, taking Sesshoumaru by surprise.

"Well, my mother is overweight," she acknowledged, her smile still in place. "I can see how you would come to that conclusion."

"Did you want to get married?" Sesshoumaru asked her suddenly, wondering if she was forced into the situation the same way he was.

Rin said nothing for a moment as she took a seat opposite him and took a sip of her coffee, wondering how to reply to that. She could hurt his feelings if she said no, but she could hurt him even more if she lied and he found out. Weighing out the pros and cons of each option, she sighed softly as she put down her mug and looked at him thoughtfully.

"Truthfully, no," she watched him carefully and was surprised when he smirked. "Did you?"

"I have more important matters on my mind than marriage," he said with a shrug as he started eating.

"Inheriting your father's company," Rin stated, knowing she was right.

"Exactly."

"Then, how is it that I now find myself married to you?"

"Like you, I had no choice."

"I see." Rin put her cutlery down and gave him a small smile. "I suppose we'll just have to try and make the best out of the situation then."

"How do you propose we do that?" Sesshoumaru asked sceptically.

"I don't know, I'm sure we'll find a way."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Several hours later, Sesshoumaru found himself sitting in his father's study waiting for his father once again, but this time he was not alone. Rin sat beside him and yet again looked beautiful in her kimono. She had said little since they arrived and he supposed she was feeling nervous and struggled to find a way to calm her nerves. However, this train of thought was interrupted when the door opened and Inu Taisho came into the room with a smile. He shook his son's hand and clapped him on the back before giving a surprised Rin a hug as he made his way round to his seat opposite them.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet today," he said with a sincere smile. "I understand that you probably have other things to do, but we have things we must discuss."

"We had no plans, father," Sesshoumaru said stiffly, wondering what was going to happen next.

"You need not act so formal, Rin," he said with a fond look at the girl sitting beside his son. "You are part of the family now. Besides, I won't tell your parents if you were not as formal as they taught you." Inu Taisho grinned at the surprised girl and winked.

After getting over her initial shock about his statement, Rin returned her father in law's smile weakly. Perhaps she had married into a good family. If she had then maybe the whole ordeal would be a lot easier to handle.

"I am pleased to see you back on track, Sesshoumaru. That little detour you took could have cost you your inheritance, you know," Inu Taisho said seriously. "But, you have a lovely wife now so I see no reason why I should not give you more responsibilities seeing as I am going to be retiring in a couple of years."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to groan. He hated the responsibilities he had now and if he was going to be given more, he could only assume he would hate them too. Really, running a family business was more too much effort. Glancing briefly at Rin from the corner of his eye, he wondered if she could perhaps ease the burden of surpassing his father but somehow he doubted it. No doubt she knew little of such pressures. Being an only child and female, he seriously doubted that Akira would want his business to go to her although she would probably inherit the couple's money eventually. Sighing silently, he supposed it was back to wishing for his own death once again.

"We can discuss those responsibilities when you come in to work tomorrow though," Inu Taisho said with a smile. "Now, we have lunch! Izayoi and Kagome have been busy cooking all morning. Come!"

The elder Takahashi wrapped an arm around Rin's shoulders and steered her out the door while Sesshoumaru followed behind at a slower pace. She glanced at him over her shoulder, hoping he could give her some indication of what she should do in this situation. She had only ever been in contact with traditional families like her own and the sudden change was somewhat overwhelming. Catching Rin's eye, Sesshoumaru saw the slight look of panic and decided that his worries over what his future held could wait until he had saved his wife from his overly exuberant father.

Before he could do anything, they arrived in the kitchen and Rin was surrounded by two very excitable women which he noted only made her panic more. Inuyasha stood up from his seat at the table and came over to greet his brother, watching his wife and mother drag Rin away across the kitchen. He felt slightly sorry for the girl who had suddenly been thrown into the family and now had to get accustomed to the excitable females within it.

"Father tells me you're taking on more responsibilities now," Inuyasha looked at his brother, a slight frown creasing his brow. Sesshoumaru nodded and Inuyasha felt the urge to grimace. He knew exactly how much his brother hated the pressures he had on him. Of course, he could do nothing to help ease the burden as it was Sesshoumaru and not himself who had to surpass their father. "You got a nice one," he said with a grin and nodded in Rin's direction.

"Mm." Sesshoumaru noticed her flustered face and the panic in her eyes as she tried to disentangle herself from Izayoi and Kagome. Her eyes widened in fright when she saw Inu Taisho approach and engulf all three women in a hug.

When lunch was over, Sesshoumaru sat quietly beside Rin and listened to her stutter out responses to the questions his family bombarded her with. She had seemed a lot more at ease alone with him this morning and he wondered what would make her so nervous about being with his family. They were hardly as bent on etiquette and social standing as her own parents seemed to be. Her panic seemed to have subsided somewhat, but he noticed her hands clenched tightly on her lap which was a clear indication that she was fraught with anxiety.

"We should probably go," Sesshoumaru said, rising to his feet. "We still haven't settled into the house yet."

Nodding in understanding, Inu Taisho shook his son's hand again and gave Rin another hug. "I'll see you at the office tomorrow then."


	5. Chapter 5

"_**All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered;**_

_**The point is to discover them."**_

_**Galileo Galilei**_

**Chapter V**

Rin had been left alone while Sesshoumaru went to work and she wandered through the house, not sure what to do with herself. Her parents had insisted that she quit her job before she married and now, she had little to occupy herself with. It was only half way through the morning and Sesshoumaru was not due to return until later that afternoon. Sighing, she sat down in a chair in the living room and stared out at the garden. A loud knock at the door caused her to look up in surprise. Standing up, she straightened her clothes before going to open the door.

"Mother?" she said stupidly as she stared at the plump woman standing on her doorstep.

"Really, Rin," the woman said with a frown. "Must you wear those clothes? I brought you a new set of kimonos to wear, those jeans don't suit you."

"I like them," Rin replied stubbornly. She had been rather upset to find out that her mother had disposed of all the clothes she owned that were not kimonos and had gone out and bought herself some new clothes, not liking the idea of spending the rest of her life in the uncomfortable clothes. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to see how you were."

Rin eyed the woman suspiciously as she pushed past her daughter and made her way towards the kitchen to make tea. Yuri Ishikawa did not do things on a whim, there was always a reason behind her actions and Rin knew this. Her very presence indicated that she was definitely up to something and knowing her mother, it probably had something to do with money. Sighing, Rin shut the front door and walked into the kitchen to find her mother pouring out tea for herself and her daughter.

"Sit down," she said in a sweet tone. "We have a lot to talk about."

Reluctantly, Rin sat down and wrapped her hands around the cup of tea as she waited with to see what her mother was up to now.

"Are you enjoying married life?"

"I've been married three days, mother."

"That doesn't matter," Yuri said dismissively. "You have married into a good family. Aren't you pleased with our decision?"

"I think you mean your decision. I doubt father had much say in the matter, did he?"

"That doesn't matter," the older woman repeated, clearly not wanting to talk about that. "So… are they very rich?"

Rin raised an eyebrow at the question, her suspicions confirmed. "You know the answer to that without asking me," she said in a cold voice as she took a sip of tea.

"I know, but I wanted to hear it from you." Yuri's eyes seemed to gleam as she looked at her daughter. "They are, aren't they?"

Rin shrugged and said nothing. She knew all about her mother's money grabbing ways and she also knew that the Takahashi family were very nice people. With both of these facts in mind, she was not going to let her mother's greed disrupt the kind family that had welcomed her with open arms.

"Sesshoumaru will inherit the company, won't he?" Yuri asked, interrupting Rin's thoughts.

"Eventually."

"I see." There was silence as her mother thought over this information. "And his father? Is he in good health?"

The urge to slam her tea cup down and slap her mother was almost irresistible, but somehow, Rin managed to keep herself in check. The nerve of the woman! Rin had only been married three days and her mother was already hoping the head of the family was in ill health so that her daughter would inherit the family's wealth more quickly. Rin frowned at the woman who sat opposite her with a hopeful expression on her face.

"I don't believe that's any of your business, mother."

"You're no help, Rin!" the older woman exclaimed in annoyance. "Do you not want to inherit all that wealth? Think of what it could do for your social status!"

"I don't care about social status," Rin said irritably. "I'd be perfectly happy if I never inherited any of their money."

"You need to get your priorities straight," Yuri said with a frown.

"My priorities are just fine."

"Clearly not. How is our family's wealth supposed to increase if the key part in helping achieve that goal is not cooperative?"

"Is that why you adopted me?" Rin asked, beginning to get angry.

"Of course it was! If we adopted a son then he would have to carry on the family business! A daughter marries into money."

"I think you should leave," Rin said shortly, getting to her feet and washing out her tea cup.

"We haven't finished our discussion," Yuri said impatiently.  
"I have nothing else to say to you, please leave."

Without another word, Rin left her mother alone in the kitchen and ascended the staircase, seeking the sanctuary of her bedroom. She listened carefully and eventually heard the sound of the front door closing, her mother finally leaving. Sighing, she sank down onto the bed and buried her face in her hands. It had been apparent to her from a young age that her parents did not see her as a daughter, but as a tool to get more money. Her mother did anyway; her father had little choice but to go along with his wife's schemes. Rin had always held onto the hope that maybe they did care for and that they had adopted her out of kindness initially. Now her hopes were shattered and she was lost. Her mother had finally admitted the real reason for adopting her and now Rin felt as though her world had fallen apart as she the words repeated themselves over and over in her head.

A lone tear slid down her cheek as she fell sideways and clutched her pillow to her chest. What would she do now? She was as good as alone again after that conversation. They may still be her adoptive parents, but now they were just strangers who claimed to be her parents. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes tight and wondered what would happen next.

When Sesshoumaru returned from work several hours later, the house had seemed deserted. Thinking Rin had gone out for the day, he made his way upstairs, loosening his tie as he went. Glad to be away from all the pressures of work, he sighed as he pushed open the door to the bedroom only to stop in surprise. Rin was curled up on her side, her back to the door. Wondering if she was asleep, Sesshoumaru approached quietly and was surprised to see brown eyes staring back at him when he knelt at her side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, a worried frown creasing his brow.

"I'm fine," she said, pushing herself up and giving him a weak smile. "I was just tired."

Nodding but not sure if he should believe her, Sesshoumaru got up and watched as she left the room. Having seen a genuine smile, he knew that the one she had just given him was not real but decided not to pursue it for fear of upsetting her. He followed her downstairs and sat quietly in the kitchen while she bustled about making dinner. There was no real reason for him to sit in the kitchen, but he decided that he could probably learn something if he discreetly observed her.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"You look preoccupied," Inu Taisho commented to his eldest son as they made their way drove back to the offices after lunch.

"Rin is behaving strangely."

Inu Taisho raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"It's difficult to explain," Sesshoumaru said with a frown. "She's being very quiet."

"She was quiet anyway."

"Only around you and the rest of the family."

Sighing, Sesshoumaru didn't try to explain the situation any further. It was hard to explain when his father didn't know what she was normally like when they were alone. Ever since he had come home to find her in the bedroom, she had been different and it had bothered him, although he wasn't sure why.

"Isn't that Rin?" his father said suddenly, slowing the car down as they approached a lone figure walking down the street.

Sesshoumaru looked closer at the feminine figure and realised that his father was right. "It is."

Not replying, Inu Taisho stopped the car just a little bit ahead of her causing her to stop in surprise. Her eyes widened as she saw Sesshoumaru step out of the car and walk towards her. She looked up at him as he towered over her, not sure what to say.

"Where were you going?" he asked, tilting his head to one side slightly.

"Home," she said quietly, still not able to believe that her stoic husband was standing in front of her.

Before Sesshoumaru could speak again, Inu Taisho appeared at his side with a smile and immediately engulfed the tiny woman in a hug. Rin was so confused that she could only stand there and stare. Both the men who stood before her should be at work, not standing in front of her in the middle of the street.

"Rin!" he exclaimed, giving her another hug. "Where've you been?"

"Visiting my parents," she said softly, remembering the reason she had left the house.

"Are they well?" Inu Taisho asked genially. Rin nodded but said nothing. "Come! We'll give you a lift home."

Within minutes, Rin found herself sitting in the back of the car as it sped towards the mansion that was now her home. No one had asked why she had been visiting her parents, but she supposed it was fairly obvious why one would visit their parents. Truthfully though, it had not been the pleasant encounter Inu Taisho seemed to think it was. She had been summoned so that her mother could berate her on not being a proper daughter and that she ought to set her priorities straight. Rin had been so upset that she had simply left before her mother had even finished her lecture. She knew that leaving had probably only made the situation worse, but she couldn't bring herself to listen to her greedy mother trying to convince her that increasing the family's wealth was top priority.

"Here you go," Inu Taisho said after a short drive.

"Thank you," Rin murmured and stepped out of the car, making her way towards the house after giving them a brief wave.

"I see what you mean about her acting strangely," Inu Taisho commented as they drove away. "Very strange indeed."

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement as he pondered her behaviour. Something must've happened that first day he left her alone but he couldn't think what it could have been. Without knowing the cause of the problem, he could not fix it and that did not sit well with him. The pair of them were still getting to know each other, but regardless of how well they knew each other, Rin was still his wife and he did not like the idea of her being unhappy. He could only hope that the situation would sort itself out in time.


	6. Chapter 6

"_**Fathers and mothers have lost the idea that the highest aspiration**_

_**they might have for their children is for them to be wise…**_

_**Competence and success are all that they can imagine."**_

**Allan Bloom**

**Chapter VII**

In the weeks after Rin's sudden change in behaviour, Sesshoumaru found himself at a loss for what to do. Although she didn't smile very often, he found himself missing the moments when she did although they were few and far between as of late. Sighing softly, he sat back in his chair and gazed out the window of his office, looking out over the roofs of the smaller buildings nearby. In his mind's eye, he could see the smile Rin had given him the night they had arrived at their new home and was surprised when he felt a sense of calm wash over him. Truly, the woman new ceased to amaze him. They had been married little over a month and he was already finding himself eager to get home to see her, even if she didn't greet him with the smile he wanted to see so badly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Inu Taisho's voice drifted across to where his son sat causing him to look towards the door.

"How long have you been standing there?" Sesshoumaru asked, falling back into what his family called 'business mode.'

"A couple of minutes," the older man said with a shrug as he sat down opposite his son. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing in particular."

"It was Rin wasn't it?" Inu Taisho grinned at his son and waited for the inevitable denial.

"I don't believe it's any of your business if I think about my wife or not."

"I was right then. Have you found out what's troubling her?"

Sesshoumaru sighed quietly. "Not yet."

"She's not said anything at all?"

"No."

"Have you even asked her?"

"I assumed she would speak about it if she wanted to."

Inu Taisho resisted the urge to palm his face in exasperation at his son's behaviour. "Sometimes you have to ask, Sesh. Even if it ends badly, it shows that you care."

With his father's words ringing in his ears, Sesshoumaru stepped through the door into the hall of his new home several hours later. The house once again seemed deserted, but he knew that Rin was probably either upstairs or had gone out for the day and had yet to return. There was no reason to panic, but he couldn't help the uneasiness that ran through him as he walked through the silent house to the bedroom. The room was empty and he frowned slightly, still not feeling at ease, despite being back in his own home.

For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru found himself worrying about another person and was unable to concentrate on the work that usually occupied him when he came home. After trying and failing to work for nearly an hour, he eventually gave up and walked into the living room to turn on the television, hoping it would distract him from worrying about Rin. He refilled his coffee mug and sat down to watch whatever was on, hoping that Rin would return soon.

It was very late that evening when Rin returned, opening the front door as quietly as possible, knowing that Sesshoumaru was probably still working or already in bed. She stepped out of her shoes and sighed as she wondered whether she should go and change out of her kimono before she got her mug of tea or if she should just make the tea and go to bed. Quietly, she made her way to the living room and shook her head slightly as she realised that Sesshoumaru had forgotten to turn off the small lamp that sat beside the sofa. When she stepped closer to turn the light off, she noticed the figure lying on the sofa and caught her breath before smiling slightly.

There on the sofa, asleep, was Sesshoumaru. His long silver hair hung over one shoulder and splayed over his chest as it rose and fell slowly. Rin couldn't help but smile as she watched him and then sat down on the edge of the sofa beside him as she wondered what to do. Slowly, her hand drifted up to run through his hair, revelling in its softness as it slipped through her fingers. Rin was so caught up in the softness of his hair that she didn't realise that his eyes had opened and were watching her intently until his hand came up and wrapped around her own.

"You're awake," she said quietly, a blush colouring her cheeks as she unsuccessfully tried to pull her hand away.

"Where have you been?" Sesshoumaru sat up, ignoring her earlier statement.

"At my parent's house."

"Until now?"

Rin nodded. "Until now."

"Let's go to bed."

Rin watched as he rose to his feet and pulled her up beside him without another word. With her small hand still tightly clasped in his larger one, Rin followed obediently as he led the way upstairs. Sesshoumaru reluctantly let go of her hand and made his way over to his side of the bed, unbuttoning his shirt as he went before falling into bed. Rin watched the display in amazement. Sesshoumaru never gave any indication of how tired he was and yet he had done just that. She smiled slightly as she watched him attempt to get comfortable before she disappeared into the bathroom to change. When she came back into the room, her smile returned when she saw that her stoic husband was fast asleep. Slipping into bed beside him, she covered him with the covers that he had neglected when he fell into the bed and sighed softly as she leaned back against her pillows and looked at the envelope that sat on her lap. She knew exactly what was inside, but slowly slid her nail under the seal and pulled the papers out. As they confirmed her suspicions, she bit her lip as she felt tears building up and then put the papers on the table beside the bed hoping to get some sleep.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru rolled over and groaned softly, lifting his hand to cover his face as he opened his eyes slowly. Weak sunlight was making its way through the net curtains at the windows and falling on the bed, right in his eyes. Sighing quietly, he pushed back the covers and got out of bed, making his way across the bedroom to the bathroom. He paused as he passed Rin's side of the bed and felt the tiniest of smiles tug his lips. Pulling the covers up over a bare shoulder, he paused for a moment as he wondered what her reaction would be if he were to find out if her lips were as soft as they looked. Deciding that he would rather she was awake when he found out; he got to his feet and walked into the bathroom.

After his shower, Sesshoumaru looked into the room and found Rin still fast asleep on the bed. Quietly, he made his way over to the door but as he passed Rin's bedside table, a white sheet of paper lying on top of an envelope caught his eye. Frowning, he paused and tried to remember if it had been there the day before, but gave up eventually and was about to shrug it off when he saw the name at the top corner of the paper. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he recognised the company name. Knowing that he probably shouldn't delve into Rin's private matters, he picked up the letter regardless and left the room to head down to the kitchen.

A while later, Rin came down into the kitchen having just emerged from the shower and found Sesshoumaru sitting at the kitchen table with a letter in front of him. As she approached, she recognised the paper and stopped dead in her tracks, not knowing what to say. Part of her was angry that he had read it without her consent, but another part of her was glad that she didn't have to try and tell him what the meeting with her parents was about now. Sesshoumaru looked up from the paper and met her gaze before he pushed a cup of coffee towards her and picked up his own cup. Still at a loss for what to say, Rin sat down beside him quietly and wrapped her fingers around the hot cup of coffee, waiting to see what he would say.

"When did you get this?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly, gesturing to the paper in front of him but not looking at the woman beside him.

"Yesterday."

"When were you planning to tell me about this?"

"I didn't get a chance to. You were asleep when I got home and fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow last night."

Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly, knowing that what she said was true. "What is this about?"

"It's… complicated," Rin replied, shifting uneasily in her seat before standing up and heading towards the living room.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her retreating figure and got to his feet slowly, picking up his mug as he made his way into the living room. When he arrived, his eyes widened as he saw Rin curled up on the sofa, face buried in her arms and her shoulders shaking slightly. Sighing to himself, he put his coffee down and sat beside her, wondering what to do next. He had very little experience with crying women and suddenly found himself at a loss. Wracking his brain, he tried to think back to the times he had seen Kagome upset and tried to remember what Inuyasha had done. Eventually, he realised what he was supposed to do and was just reaching across the distance that separated them to her when she sat up and wiped away her tears before turning to look at him.

"It was too late to discuss it last night," she said seriously. "In fact, I'm glad you found that. I don't know how I would've told you otherwise."

"How did this happen?" Sesshoumaru asked, turning slightly in his seat to face her.

"You must understand that my mother is a very greedy woman. My father wouldn't hurt a fly, he's too kind, but Mother is domineering." Rin sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned back against the sofa before turning to look at her husband seriously. "Do you know why my parents agreed to the marriage arrangement?"

Sesshoumaru eyed her curiously for a moment. "No…"

"You were the wealthiest of all the men who wanted arranged marriages."

"You married me for my money?" he asked, eyebrow raised as he felt anger growing within him and something that felt suspiciously like disappointment.

"No. We've already discussed this. I married you because, like you, I had no choice in the matter."

"I see…"

Rin sighed and turned around in her seat completely so that she was facing him, her legs crossed on the sofa in front of her and her hands clasped tightly on her lap. The conversation was not going as well as she had hoped and she was beginning to wonder if she was going to lose her husband as well.

"I'm not saying that I regret marrying you," Rin said sincerely as Sesshoumaru returned her gaze. "I'm glad it was you and not anyone else, I think we discussed that as well. What I'm trying to say is that it was my mother's intention all along for me to marry into wealth to boost the family's fortune. Neither my father or I had any part in it."

"And yet we are now married."

"That was beyond my control. It would have been like you telling your father you didn't want to marry me. You would have ended up marrying me anyway, no matter how much you may have been against it."

"I suppose that's true," Sesshoumaru agreed, but still feeling slightly disappointed. He picked up the paper and handed it to her. "That still doesn't explain this."

Rin smiled sadly as she took the paper and glanced over its contents. "This is the price I pay for going against my mother's wishes."

"Going against her wishes? You're married to me aren't you? Isn't that what she wanted?"

"She wanted me to help her ensure that our family would benefit from the marriage. She wants the family to become wealthier than it is now, but I refused."

"You refused?"

"I wouldn't help her."

"Why not? Think of your social status if your family's wealth increased. You wouldn't have to work another day for the rest of your life."

Rin frowned and looked away. "You sound just like her when you say that. I don't care about social status. I never wanted any of your money and I never wanted any of Yuri and Akira's either."

"You refer to your parents by their first names?"

"They're not my parents."

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru stared at her in surprise. Had she not called Yuri her mother only moments ago?

"They adopted me when I was 7. My parents are dead."

Sesshoumaru stared at the woman beside him in surprise and yet again it dawned on him just how little he knew about her. He searched her face for any trace of a lie, but found none and wondered what to make of the situation. Had his family known about this when the marriage was arranged or was it kept a secret from them as well?

"Who are your parents then?"

"I don't remember them."

"Putting that aside, what why did you refuse to help your mother?"

"I already told you." Rin sighed and looked at him. "I like your family. I don't want to see them or you hurt and I don't want to be the cause of it."

"Why did you see your parents yesterday?"

"Yuri tried to make me change my mind, but I didn't."

Sesshoumaru shook his head in disbelief. "You are being disowned by your family because you wanted to protect mine?"

"Something like that," Rin replied softly, looking down at her hands to hide her tears. Now all she had to do was wait for him to get angry, shout at her and then throw her out after demanding a divorce.

"Foolish girl."

Rin looked up in surprise when she felt strong arms wrap around her and pull her against a broad chest. Her eyes widened as she struggled to comprehend the situation. This wasn't the way it she had thought the conversation would end. Where was the anger? Why wasn't he upset with what she had just told him? Sighing softly, she decided that such thoughts could wait until later. He was offering to comfort her and Rin suspected very few if any other women had received such treatment, so she would grasp the opportunity with both hands.

As the reality of the situation hit home, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and wept. She was being disowned by the people she had thought were her family. She was going to be all alone again. A hand running down her back gently reminded her that she was not alone. After a moment, she composed herself and sat back to look at the man who sat beside her. Her breath caught in her throat when Sesshoumaru lifted a hand to her face and brushed away her tears with him thumb.

"I'm grateful for what you did," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "I am only sorry that you should have to face such consequences." He paused and looked into her eyes. "You are not alone," he said as though he could read her thoughts. "You are part of the family now."

Tears filled Rin's eyes again as she repeated those words over and over again in her head. Giving her a tiny smile, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her again and held her close until the tears had subsided. When she was quiet, he pulled her towards him to sit on his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her in place as she laid her head against his shoulder and sighed softly. He could feel her breath on his neck and once again he wondered whether her lips were as soft as they looked. Before he could pursue the thought any further, he felt those very lips press against his neck briefly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled closer to him.

"I was scared you would be angry with me," Rin murmured so quietly that Sesshoumaru wondered if he had heard her right.

"I couldn't be angry with you."

A sudden feeling of possessiveness rushed through him as he tightened his arms around her. Her slim figure felt just right where it was and just the thought of her earlier tears made him see red as he realised that he never wanted to see her shed any tears. He wanted to see her smile and he would do all he could to ensure that she never had reason to cry.


	7. Chapter 7

"_**A blind bird sings inside the cage that is my heart**_

_**The image of your face comes to me when I'm alone in the dark**_

_**If I could give a shape to this ache that I have for you**_

_**If I could find the voice that says the words to capture you."**_

**~Dela – Johnny Clegg ~**

**Chapter VIII**

Rin was very surprised by Sesshoumaru's behaviour over the few days after he learned that her parents were disowning her. She wouldn't have thought that it was in his nature to be sympathetic towards anyone regardless of their circumstances, but nearly everyday he found a way to prove her wrong. He had become very attentive towards her and seemed to be constantly checking up on her to make sure she was happy. It had surprised her when he had taken the next few days off work just to stay at home with her, but it definitely made her smile. Although she suspected that he still wasn't overly pleased about having been forced into a marriage, the little gestures of his were endearing and Rin counted herself lucky that she had ended up married to him and not someone else who probably wouldn't have cared about what she was going through.

A couple of days later, Rin woke up earlier than usual and when she looked out the window, she saw that the sun had only just risen. After attempting to go back to sleep and failing, she eventually got up and went for her shower, noting the chill in the air as she left the warmth of the bed. When she returned, fully dressed, she glanced briefly at the bed and smiled as her eyes fell on the sleeping form of Sesshoumaru. He seemed to have taken full advantage of the extra space in the bed after she got up and now lay on his back with one arm lying on his chest and the other on her pillows. His sliver hair lay in a tangled mess around his shoulders, but Rin couldn't help but catch her breath at the sight of him. He was truly as good looking asleep as he was awake. Shaking her head, she pulled the discarded covers over him and paused briefly to look at him from close up. She wished she could find a way to thank him for what he had done for her so far, but she knew no words or gestures that could relay just how grateful she was to him. Instead, acting on impulse, Rin leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before leaving the room glad that he had been asleep when she had done that.

Unfortunately for Rin though, as soon as the door clicked shut behind her, a pair of amber eyes opened slowly and stared at the closed door. Sesshoumaru had been awake since she had pulled the covers over him, but had wisely feigned sleep so as not to unnerve her. Propping himself up on an elbow, he lifted a hand to the cheek she had kissed and wondered why she had done that, not that he was complaining. With a sigh, he lay back against the pillows suddenly noticing how close their pillows really were to each other. He turned on his side and looked at the spot where Rin would have been lying. There was a faint scent of coconut which he knew was in the shampoo and body lotion of hers that he had noticed in the bathroom. Reaching out he pulled the pillow towards him and inhaled deeply, somehow finding the scent comforting as his eyes drifted shut and he fell into a deep sleep.

A couple of hours later, Sesshoumaru came downstairs to find Rin sitting in an armchair in the living room, her legs curled beneath her and a small blanket over her knees. Her delicate hands held a mug of what he assumed was tea as he had learned that that was her preference and a book lay open on the arm of the chair. The petite woman seemed so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice him until he sat down on the sofa across from her a few minutes later when he had made his coffee. She looked up in surprise and then smiled when her eyes landed on him.

"Good morning," she greeted softly.

"Good morning," Sesshoumaru replied, wondering why he had never noticed the soft velvet quality of her voice before. "You got up early."

"I couldn't sleep for some reason," Rin said with little shrug and smile. "Did you sleep well?"  
"Very well, thank you."

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin smiled again before returning to her book. He was definitely not going to admit that he had truthfully slept quite badly until she had gotten up and he had taken her pillow. There were some things, he thought, that were better left unsaid. Instead, he chose to take the time to have a good look at her since he had never really bothered to look at her that closely before today, although why he suddenly felt the need to do so now was beyond him.

One of her feet poked out from beneath the blanket and he saw that they were really quite small and dainty while her hands were delicate and had long slim fingers that he couldn't help but watch as they turned the pages of her book. Her long dark hair was tied up as usual, but she left it down when she slept and he noticed that it fell to her waist. Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to travel down her face as he took in her features and wondered why he had never noticed the details about her that made her so beautiful. Dark brown eyes were framed by thick lashes that he knew spread out like fans on her pale skin when she slept while the eyes themselves were expressive and as he looked into them, he realised that the saying about eyes being windows to the soul was very apt. Her lips were plump and looked so very tempting and he knew just how soft they were. Closing his eyes for a moment, he remembered the feeling of them against his cheek and almost smiled. Opening his eyes, he carried on his inspection of Rin eagerly. An elegant neck led down to slim shoulders and as his eyes travelled lower he could just make out the swell of what he assumed were voluptuous breasts beneath her thick shirt. Going lower, he knew that she had a tiny waist and hips that gave her an enticing hourglass figure. She had slim legs that seemed to go on forever despite the fact that she was actually rather petite.

As he concluded his inspection of his wife, Sesshoumaru concluded that he was very lucky to be married to her. He knew that many men would probably kill to be in his place but he felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that Rin was his wife. Almost as though sensing his gaze, Rin looked up and blushed slightly as she found him watching her. Trying in vain to hide the blush, she pulled the blanket back and stood up gracefully. Stretching her arms above her head, her shirt slid up to give Sesshoumaru a brief glance at the smooth, pale skin of her stomach before she brought her arms down and smiled at him again.

"I'll make some breakfast."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru also got to his feet and followed her into the kitchen where he would make the coffee just as he had done the morning after they got married and had done ever since. It was sort of like an unspoken agreement. He watched the way her hips swayed as she walked ahead of him and felt the urge to run his hands along her curves that he could clearly see now that she was no longer covered by the blanket. She was truly incredible and he couldn't believe his luck.

"Would you like to go out today?" Sesshoumaru asked casually, as they ate breakfast.

"Aren't you working today?"

"Work can wait."

Rin smiled and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Did you have anywhere in mind?"

"Not really." He paused to think about it for a moment. "We never did go on honeymoon, you know."

"We didn't really get much of a chance."

"Were would you like to go?"

"Are you serious?" Rin asked in surprise.

"Very."

"As long as it's somewhere nice, I'm sure I'll enjoy it," she said with a biggest smile Sesshoumaru had seen in days.

"Very well."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

After telling her what kind of climate to pack for, Sesshoumaru had left the house to inform his father that he would not be returning to work for some time. Needless to say, Inu Taisho was more than happy to let his son take the time off it meant that he was closer to having any grandchildren, although he didn't tell Sesshoumaru that. Soon enough, Sesshoumaru and Rin were in the car and on their way to spending a few days away together. Rin had tried very hard to find out where they were going, but Sesshoumaru easily avoided her questions and simply told her that it was a surprise. It was a long drive to wherever it was they were going and eventually, Rin found herself unable to keep her eyes open. Normally, the very idea of falling asleep in a car didn't sit well with her, but she knew she could rest easy with Sesshoumaru beside her.

It was after dark when the pair finally reached their destination. Stopping the car, Sesshoumaru sat quietly and looked out at the view from the car for a moment before turning his gaze to the sleeping woman beside him. He marvelled at her ability to be so beautiful even when she slept, not knowing that Rin had thought something along the same lines about him that very morning. As quietly as possible, he left the car and went to unlock the house they would be staying in before returning to the car. He opened the door and lifted Rin from the car, making his way towards the house. Rin stirred as she felt herself being moved and slowly opened her eyes only to find amber eyes looking back at her. She gasped when she realised that she was being carried and hastily wrapped her arms around the broad shoulders of her husband.

"I'm not going to drop you," Sesshoumaru murmured quietly with a smirk as he stepped into the house.

"I know, I just got a fright," she said sheepishly, reluctant to let go of his shoulders as he set her down on her feet inside the house.

Shaking his head slightly, Sesshoumaru looked down at her from his great height and gave her a very small smile that vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. Rin blushed slightly as she realised she was still holding the sleeves of his shirt and withdrew her hands quickly, turning around to hide her blush in the cool darkness of the house. Smirking, Sesshoumaru disappeared back to the car and reappeared with their suitcases a moment later. Gently, he nudged forward into the house and blinked slightly as she switched the light on.

Rin gasped as she looked around the little living room in which they stood. There were low beams above their heads and stone flooring beneath their feet. Sesshoumaru walked forward towards the bedroom and Rin followed curiously only to gasp once again when she walked into the room. An impossibly big bed stood in the centre of the room with a dark red rug at the foot of it that matched the thick curtains at the windows. She briefly glanced into the en suite before making her way over to the windows to look at the view. From the window she could see that the house sat on a small hill overlooking the sea and a deserted beach.

"This place is incredible," she murmured.

"It's certainly nicer than the city," Sesshoumaru agreed, standing beside her at the window.

"Did you come here when you were younger?" Rin asked, turning to look at the stoic man beside her, suddenly curious about him.

"Not with my family, but yes, I did. When we were old enough both Inuyasha and I were given permission to use this house."

Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin when she didn't make any reply and admired the beauty of her face in the moonlight. Her pursed lips looked very kissable from this angle and he was tempted to try his luck, but soon thought better of it when he felt his stomach protesting about not being fed.

Rin laughed. "Is there anything to eat here at all?"

"There should be. The caretaker was asked to restock the refrigerator before we arrived."

"I'll make something for you," she said and turned to leave the room in favour of exploring the kitchen, her favourite room in any house.

An hour later, the pair sat quietly in the dimly lit living room feeling content after finishing their meal. Rin sighed and slipped her sandals off to curl her feet beneath her before turning to look at Sesshoumaru who just happened to be watching her again. Giving him a smile, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa, wondering why Sesshoumaru seemed to be acting a little differently today. Pushing the thoughts away, she sighed and listened to the sound of the waves in the distance crashing against the shore.

Sesshoumaru sat quietly in the chair opposite her watching as she slowly fell asleep on the sofa. For a moment he wondered whether he should suggest they go to bed before she fell asleep, but found that he was too late. He stretched as he stood up and walked over to where she sat and took a seat beside her, wondering if he should wake her up or not. While he tried to make his mind up, Rin slid down the back of the sofa and leaned against his shoulder, sighing quietly as she buried her face in his shirt. Smiling slightly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently shook her awake.

"Did I fall asleep?" she asked sleepily.

"You did," Sesshoumaru said quietly, tightening the arm around her shoulders slightly. "Let's go to bed."

Without another word, Rin found herself lifted from the sofa and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's shoulders for the second time that day. She sighed in regret as she was set on her feet on the rug at the bottom of the bed. Kneeling down to open her suitcase, she pulled out her nightshirt and got changed after making sure that Sesshoumaru was facing the other way. When she turned around, Rin was surprised that Sesshoumaru was already comfortably seated in bed and she smiled before stepping towards the bed.

"Is something wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking at Rin in surprise when he heard her gasp.

"The floor's cold," she said with a blush.

Sesshoumaru shook his head as he watched her dash across the floor to the bed. She slipped beneath the covers with a sigh of relief. Rin closed her eyes and fell back against the pillows, unaware of the way Sesshoumaru's eyes followed the movement of her breasts as she did so or the way they lingered on her lips before he looked away reluctantly.

"Does it always get this cold?" Rin asked, shivering slightly as she slid further down beneath the covers.

"Only in winter," Sesshoumaru said, looking down at her. "Are you really that cold?"

Rin nodded emphatically and closed her eyes. Sesshoumaru continued to look down at her as though he was trying to decide something. Eventually, he seemed to come to a conclusion and reached down towards the woman lying beside him. Rin's eyes snapped open when she felt an arm wrap around her waist and she looked up at Sesshoumaru when she felt her body come into contact with his. She blushed, as a strong arm clamped her to his side and a large hand rested gently on her hip as though this was a regular occurrence.

"You said you were cold," Sesshoumaru said by way of explanation as he gave her a slight smile and turned back to the book that was propped up against his knees.

Unsure what to say to that, Rin smiled and snuggled into his side; resting her head on his shoulder. This was the first time he had ever done this, but she found that it was actually rather nice and hoped that he would do it again.

After about an hour, Sesshoumaru looked down when he felt Rin shift slightly. His eyes widened when he felt a smooth leg slide against his as she turned on her side, pressing her breasts against him. He had definitely not been expecting this and he wondered what one did in such a situation before eventually giving up on trying to go back to his book in favour of relishing the feeling of the woman beside him. Closing the book, he leaned over and put it on the table and switched off the light, sitting in darkness for a moment. After a moment, Sesshoumaru rolled onto his side to face Rin and pulled her against him, wrapping both arms around her and sighing softly as she snuggled against him again. In the moments before he fell asleep, he wondered why he had never done this before seeing as it was so pleasant. Smiling to himself, he tightened his arms around Rin and decided that he would definitely be doing this again.


	8. Chapter 8

"_**She is a gentle flower; she is the sun and the rain**_

_**She could be the reason for my joy and my pain.**_

_**First thing I see each morning, last thing I see each night**_

_**You know if I could have all that**_

_**That's all I wish for in my life."**_

**~ Cinderella – Lionel Richie ~**

**Chapter VIII**

As the sound of birds and crashing waves woke her, Rin sighed in content at the warmth that surrounded her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around the room as she remembered where she was. Her eyes widened slightly as she found herself being drawn closer to the source of her warmth and she looked around, trying to remember what had happened the night before when she found herself face to face with a sleeping Sesshoumaru. She lay on her side, her head resting against his shoulder and his arms wrapped protectively around her. Rin blushed slightly, but revelled in the sensation, hoping that it would last forever. Sighing again, she reached up and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck, bringing them closer together as she fell back to sleep.

Several hours later, Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and smiled to himself as he thought of how peaceful his sleep had been that night. It had been a very long time since he had slept that well. He was about to roll over onto his back to stretch when a very feminine moan reached his ears, causing him to look down at the woman in his arms in surprise as though he had only just remembered her presence. Evidently the small movement he had made to roll over had disturbed the sleeping female causing her to moan in protest. Sesshoumaru stared at her and realised just why he had slept so well. Rin was pressed close against him, her arms around his neck and her legs somehow entwined with his own. Had he not been the man he was, he was sure that he would be blushing by now, but as it was, he didn't know what to do. There was no pressing need to get up, but staying in bed when there was no need was a bit pointless in his opinion. Besides, he had work that needed to be done. Rin shifted slightly and rolled onto her back, unknowingly pulling Sesshoumaru with her until he was virtually lying on top of her. Bracing himself on his arms, he pulled back slightly to look at her, not caring if he was blushing or not. Surely this kind of unexpected situation warranted a blush? That said, he found that where he lay was really not that bad and that perhaps it wouldn't hurt to stay in bed a bit longer.

Shifting himself sideways slightly, he propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at the sleeping woman beside him. Her head still lay against his arm and she moved closer to him, a small smile curving her enticing lips upward. Sesshoumaru could only marvel at the beauty of her and couldn't help himself when his free hand came up to gently push her hair back from her face. A sense of contentment filled him as he moved down to caress her cheek and then further down, running his hand lightly over her curves as he had wanted to do the day before. He smirked when she shivered slightly and pressed herself closer to him. Through the fabric of her nightdress, he could feel her breasts pressed against his chest and he began to wonder what it would be like if they were devoid of the clothing that hid them from him. Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin in surprise for a moment, there had never been a woman he had met before her who made him fantasise about her, who made him almost crave her touch or her smile. Rin seemed to make him drop his defences in a way no one else had managed to achieve and he wondered if she really knew what kind of an effect she had on him.

As he sat pondering that thought, the hand on her waist pulling her closer while he gazed out the window, soft brown eyes opened slowly and then widened slightly when they landed on the man above her. Rin couldn't think of anything to say, in fact, she knew that anything she did say would probably come out wrong in this situation so it was best to remain quiet. Her eyes grew wider as she felt a hand on her waist move to her back to rub soothing circles. Soon enough, her shock faded and she enjoyed the feeling, unable to hold in a soft sigh as she sagged against him. The movement caused him to look down at her and a brief look of shock at finding her awake crossed his face before he expertly hid it. His hand stopped its movements, much to her dismay, and he seemed to be wondering what she was going to do. His first thought was that she was going to jump from the bed and run away, after all, who would want to be touched by a man they hadn't wanted to marry in the first place? However, Rin stayed in place and frowned at him slightly.

"Why'd you stop?" she pouted, but he could see that there was teasing in her eyes.

Sesshoumaru faltered for a second, not sure what to say. "Sorry," he murmured, slightly stunned by her behaviour.

"Don't be sorry," Rin said softly, smiling gently at him as she reached up to wrap her arms around his shoulders. "Carry on."

Without any warning, Sesshoumaru found himself pulled down towards her and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. Rin giggled and he shook his head slightly but was prevented from saying anything when she pulled him even closer and buried her face in his shoulder. To say he was surprised would be an understatement, however, he was not the kind of man who would let an opportunity pass him by and he was going to grab this one with both hands. Or, more appropriately, he was going to grab Rin with both hands and he did just that. He pulled her closer and rolled onto his back, smirking when she looked up in surprise to see that she now lay on top of him.

"You told me to carry on," he said quietly as he tightened his arms around her.

"I guess I did," Rin replied with a smile.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was mid morning by the time the pair eventually dragged themselves from their bed. Although things had not progressed any further than just enjoying the idea of holding each other, Rin couldn't be happier and there was a spring in her step as she started on breakfast after her shower. This was a breakthrough. Both of them had let down their barriers and felt better for it. Rin sighed as she placed a plate of pancakes down on the table and thought about the morning she had just spent. Her cheeks took on a pink tint at the very thought of it and she couldn't restrain her giggles as she turned around to make coffee while she waited for Sesshoumaru to finish his shower.

Sesshoumaru made his way towards the kitchen, his mind on the morning's events and he couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought. There was no need to keep his barriers up when he was with Rin. He had wondered when they were first married if she could somehow help ease the burden of what was expected of his by his parents and he had doubted it at the time, but now he decided that she could definitely help. If he could spend every night the way he had spent last night, then he would truly be a vey happy man.

As he walked into the kitchen, he found Rin making coffee, her back to him. His eyes travelled down her body and he remembered how soft her skin was and how luscious her curves were when he had run his hand down them. Gathering his courage, he made his way towards her as quietly as possible and slipped both arms around her, bringing her back against his front as he looked over her shoulder. Rin jumped slightly, but smiled when she looked up to see him, relaxing against him as she finished making the coffee.

"Here you go," she said with a smile as she handed him a mug of coffee. "Shall we have breakfast?"

The pair sat at the table eating quietly for quite some time before Rin began to wonder if maybe things were going to be awkward for them now. They hadn't really had very much to talk about before, but now the fact that there was little to talk about was more apparent than ever. Sesshoumaru was thinking the same thing and sighed to himself. He didn't want things to be awkward, things were supposed to go forward not backward. About to voice his concerns, he stopped abruptly as he felt something brush against his leg. Looking at Rin, he found her looking down at her food, a slight smile curving her lips. Then he realised that she was just as worried as he was and was trying to make things better.

"Shall we go to the beach today?" he asked, watching her smile at the idea.

"Won't it be cold though?" Rin frowned.

"We won't be swimming."

An hour later, Rin was walking down the beach with Sesshoumaru, enjoying the feeling of the soft wet sand on her bare feet. It was cold despite the fact that they weren't swimming, the wind had a chill in it, but she didn't mind in the slightest. Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as she ran ahead of him and picked up the few decent shells that had washed ashore. He didn't know that she had this childlike side to her, but then there were still a lot of things he didn't know about her. Rin was waiting for him just ahead and he picked up his pace and was surprised when she fell into step beside him.

"Tired of running?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking down at her as they walked.

"Not really," she said nervously.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her for a moment, trying to understand why she would suddenly be so nervous. She had nothing to be nervous about and she hadn't been a short while ago. Looking around, his eyes landed on a group of men who sat outside a very tatty looking beach house and they had clearly been drinking judging by the cans that were strewn about. They talked and laughed loudly and Rin seemed to grow more uncomfortable the closer they came to them. Understanding her cause for nervousness, Sesshoumaru took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. Rin looked up at him and smiled slightly, moving closer to him.

"It's getting quite cold, shall we go back?" Sesshoumaru asked Rin a short while later.

"Yeah, my toes feel like they might fall off," she giggled and Sesshoumaru shook his head in mild amusement.

Soon they were standing outside the house trying to get sand off their feet before going inside. Rin sighed in relief as they went into the warm house, quickly walking over to the carpet so she didn't stand on the cold floor for too long. Sesshoumaru sat on the sofa beside her and closed his eyes, truly grateful for the warmth as the cold had begun to make him feel slightly numb.

"Are you alright?" Rin asked after a moment and Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to find her looking at him with a frown.

"Yes, why?"

"You look a bit pale."

Shrugging, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes again and sighed to himself. As far as he was concerned, he always looked pale so he didn't really see a problem. Rin, however, pulled him off the sofa and into the bedroom, although he wasn't entirely sure why. Several ideas popped into his head, but he pushed them away quickly as they seemed very unlikely.

"Take off those clothes and get into bed," Rin instructed in a tone that brooked no argument before disappearing into the living room for a few minutes.

When she returned, Sesshoumaru was sitting quietly in bed wearing what he normally did when in bed. Rin eyed his bare chest with narrowed eyes for a moment before deciding that he probably wouldn't put up with her pushing him around for too long. Approaching the bed, she placed a mug of coffee on the table and smiled at him as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why am I in bed?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking at her curiously.

"You looked pale and I don't want you to get ill," she replied honestly.

"I see."

Touched by her thoughtfulness, Sesshoumaru decided that he would do as she asked. Normally he would have simply refused, but this time he would humour her. The problem was that he couldn't spend the whole day in bed, there was work that needed to be done and it would be rude to simply abandon Rin.

"You're not working," Rin said decisively as though she had read his thoughts. "You can read or sleep."

"What will you do?"

"I'll sit with you if you like, or I'll find something to occupy myself with."

To answer her, Sesshoumaru simply leaned forward and wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her towards him until she was sitting on his lap. She gasped in surprise then giggled at the gesture before looking at him seriously. He could tell that she was about to admonish him for that since he was supposed to be 'resting,' but he didn't care. Instead, he nuzzled her neck as he brought her closer.

"I suppose I'm staying here then," Rin said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"If I have to stay in bed, so do you," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice slightly muffled.

Rin laughed, unable to fault his logic. Bed sounded quiet nice actually, but not in jeans and a tshirt. Reluctantly, she pushed herself up to her feet and disappeared to get changed. She returned in her usual nightdress, despite the fact that it was far too early for bed. Sesshoumaru watched as she came back and slid beneath the covers beside him with a happy sigh. He had seen her in her nightdress several times, but for some reason, she had never looked as good as she did now. Or perhaps she did and he had just never noticed? Pushing away the thoughts, he reached over and pulled her towards him, feeling as though he couldn't get enough of touching her. She laughed again and snuggled into his side once more.

"Why haven't we done this before?" she asked quietly after a moment of silence. "It seems so natural and yet last night was the first time it happened."

"Perhaps we weren't comfortable enough with each other," Sesshoumaru suggested, looking down at her. Then an idea came to mind. "I know something else we haven't done before."

For a moment, Rin looked wary but then smiled brightly at him, understanding exactly what she meant. For the first time, she saw him grin and wished that he would do so more often. Rolling onto his side, he looked into her eyes for a moment before letting his hand travel up her curves to her shoulder. Slowly, he leaned down towards her and pressed a gentle kiss against her shoulder, smirking at her quiet gasp. Then, just as slowly, he began to place gentle kisses across her shoulders and up her neck, noting the way her pulse was racing. The hand at her shoulder drifted back down to her hip, pressing her against him as he continued to trail kisses along her neck. Rin smiled and wrapped her arms around him again, more than happy to move as close as he wanted. Sesshoumaru raised his head for a moment to look at her and apparently satisfied with her smile, leaned down once again to place soft kisses along her jaw. He pressed a kiss against the corner of her smiling mouth and was surprised when she turned her head just slightly so their lips met.

"Don't tease," she whispered against his lips.

Smirking, he took her advice and ravished her lips. When they parted for air, she grinned at him and ran her fingers through his hair gently before let them wrap around his neck again. After a brief pause, he leaned down and captured her lips again, unable to get enough of her as his hand drifted up from her hip again. His lips left hers and moved back down to her neck, nipping lightly at the soft skin. Rin pulled him close as he reached the base of her throat and tilted her head backwards slightly. Sesshoumaru's lips moved lower and she felt her breath catch in her throat as she realised what was about to happen. She gasped when she felt a large hand cup her breast and after a pause began to knead gently while his lips left a trail of kisses along the neckline of her nightdress.

"I thought talked about teasing," Rin said breathlessly.

"I don't think we talked about it in much detail," Sesshoumaru replied with a smirk, his lips brushing against her skin as he spoke.

"Perhaps a little teasing won't hurt," she whispered and pressed a kiss against his lips before pulling back.

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, once again occupied with exploring her luscious body. He smirked as he heard her gasps turn to moans. Briefly, it dawned on him that this would change their relationship forever, but he didn't really care that much. Rin seemed to have no objections to that was inevitably going to happen, so he saw no reason to hold back any longer. He suddenly found himself wondering how he had lived his life before Rin had come along. Pushing the thoughts aside, he decided that it didn't matter what had happened in the past, all that mattered was the future they had together and right now, that future looked promising. All that mattered was that Rin was happy and in the very near future he intended to make her a very happy woman and himself a very happy man.


	9. Chapter 9

"_**Heaven help the heart that lets me inside,**_

_**Heaven help the one who comes in my life,**_

_**Heaven help the fool that walks through my door,**_

'_**Cause I decided right now, **_

_**I'm ready for love."**_

**- Heaven Help – Lenny Kravitz -**

**Chapter IX**

As it happened, Sesshoumaru did not get ill from the day spent at the beach, but the consideration that Rin had shown him had touched him deeply. He was slowly beginning to fall into a routine and enjoy his new life as a married man despite the fact that they had been married a couple of months by now. The new level of closeness they had developed during their week away from the city pleased him and he discovered that he was a much happier man when he woke up to his wife's petite but luscious body wrapped in his arms. Inevitably, there had been a mountain of work waiting for him when he returned to work after they returned to the city and he was forced to work longer hours to make sure it was all done by the deadlines. It irked him somewhat that the most important work with some of the shortest deadlines had been left on his desk for him to do when he had gone away without saying how long he'd be away. People in the office were truly becoming lazy when most of the papers merely required a signature from a senior company member and it was Sesshoumaru who was paying the price for their laziness.

Rin had known that Sesshoumaru would be busy when they got back to the city, but the long hours he now had to work were beginning to worry her. He was usually gone before she woke up and there were times when she didn't see him at all in a day because he came home long after she had fallen asleep. She sighed as she looked at the clock that sat on Sesshoumaru's bedside table knowing that today was going to be one of the days she didn't see him. Sinking down beneath the warm covers, Rin wished that he was with her now.

She didn't mind being on her own, but she missed the times when they would both go to bed at the same time and he would wrap an arm around her as he read his book the way he had done back when they were on holiday. She missed falling asleep in his protective embrace and she also missed the way his scent seemed to comfort and soothe her. With that in mind, she reached out and pulled his pillow towards her as she inhaled his scent deeply. Her eyes closed as her mind called up an image of him and she sighed again, deciding that it was probably a bad idea to try and wait up for him.

Only an hour later, Sesshoumaru quietly came through the front door and glanced around to see if there were any signs of Rin downstairs. It was a Friday night and he wondered if she would still be awake, but as he glanced at his watch and realised that it 10pm he knew he was being overly optimistic to still find her awake. Sighing to himself, he started up the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door as quietly as possible, cringing slightly when it creaked. The room was lit by the light that sat on his side of the bed and as he approached the bed, his gaze fell on Rin's sleeping face. She lay on her side as though she had been watching the door when she had fallen asleep and her arms were wrapped around what was undoubtedly his pillow. Frowning slightly, Sesshoumaru slipped off his jacket and loosened his tie as he walked over to Rin's side of the bed and sat on the edge beside her. Reaching over, he brushed her hair away from her face and grimaced as he thought about how he didn't see her very often now that they had returned to the city. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss against her soft lips and smiled slightly when she rolled onto her back. He got to his feet and prepared for bed, slipping beneath the covers moments later and somehow managing to extricate his pillow from Rin's grasp before taking her in his arms.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin woke up to find herself held in the very embrace she had been thinking about the night before and smiled to herself. It was truly the best way to wake up and she only wished it was like this every morning. Looking up, she gasped quietly as she met Sesshoumaru's amber gaze and blushed slightly before smiling broadly as she rolled onto her back and stretched her arms above her head.

"It's been a while since I've woken up like this," she murmured with a smile as she pressed a kiss against his cheek.

"I'm sorry I've been working so late," Sesshoumaru apologised quietly as he sat up and leaned against the pillows, his arm still wrapped around Rin.

"It's alright; I know you need to catch up on things."

"I shouldn't have to neglect you though."

"You can always make it up to me," Rin countered with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Sesshoumaru smirked. "I could indeed."

It was another couple of hours before the pair finally emerged from the bedroom and decided to have breakfast. There was no more awkwardness between them, only companionable silence from time to time and Rin marvelled at how far they had come since they got married. After breakfast, Sesshoumaru decided that he would not disappear into his office and work like he knew he should and chose instead to sit with Rin in the living room. She seemed content to watch the television while she mended various items of clothing while he sat beside her with his book. Eventually, when he looked at the time, Sesshoumaru remembered something that he had forgotten to mention to Rin.

"Rin, I forgot to mention something," he said as he closed his book and watched her needle flicking through the fabric.

"Forgot or didn't have time to?" Rin asked and gave him a crooked smile before turning her eyes back to her needle.

"Probably the latter, but this is important because it concerns you."

Rin stilled her hand and frowned slightly as she looked at the tiny tear she had almost finished mending. She immediately thought she had done something wrong or Yuri was trying to cause trouble, but when she looked at Sesshoumaru she saw that he didn't look upset, only slightly irritated.

"What is it?" she asked, setting aside the garment to look at him.

"My father's having a celebration for the new company members this evening and I'm required to attend with you."

"But why me?" Rin asked, panicked slightly by the idea of having to attend a party with only a few hours notice.

"It's supposed to be a family event according to my father, I apologise for not mentioning it sooner. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you."

"Of course you haven't," Rin said with a smile as she kissed his cheek. "I'll find something to wear."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

After Sesshoumaru's announcement earlier that day, Rin had been frantic trying to find something suitable to wear and had almost resorted to asking her sister in law for advice, but had decided against it when she eventually found a dress that she loved. Now with only a few minutes until they were due to leave, Rin stood in front of the full length mirror in the bathroom and checked her reflection for the last time. She smiled knowing exactly what kind of response she was hoping to get when Sesshoumaru saw it.

The dress was black with a tight bodice and a skirt which flared out from the hips. There were no straps and her back would be bare down to the base of her spine which made her feel slightly nervous, but the dress was so stunning that she had immediately pictured herself wearing it. A long slit ran up one side of the skirt up to her mid thigh, exposing her leg slightly when she walked while the underside of the skirt was bright red which was a stark contrast to the rest of the black dress and her pale skin. When she had first seen the dress, she was certain that it was just a dancer's leotard with a skirt wrapped around it but when she realised that it was all one garment, she fell in love with it instantly.

Making sure that everything was in place, Rin took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where she knew Sesshoumaru was waiting for her. He turned around as the door opened and stared in amazement as Rin stepped out, unable to believe his eyes. Her long hair had been swept up into a chignon which left her shoulders and neck bare and she wore just enough make up to look absolutely stunning. He watched as she turned around to head over to her wardrobe and he saw that her back was bare. Sesshoumaru sat on the edge of the bed as he waited for her to wrap her shawl around her shoulders and wondered if she would be warm enough in just that. Making a mental note to pick up one of his jackets for her on the way out the door, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and pulled on his suit jacket as Rin walked towards him. Looking her over, he swore he saw a glimpse of a long slim leg before it was hidden by the black and red fabric.

"That dress is incredible," Sesshoumaru murmured as she stopped in front of him, her heels only allowing her to reach just above his shoulder.

"I thought you'd like it," Rin replied and giggled as he pressed a kiss against her neck.

"Father's sent the driver to fetch us. He'll be here soon."

"Then you should keep your hands to yourself or we'll be late," she teased.

Sesshoumaru stepped away from her and gave her a look that said he knew she was right, but his hands lingered on her waist as if he didn't want to let her go. Smiling at him, Rin leaned up and press her lips against his gently before stepping away and heading for the door. Following her, Sesshoumaru heard a knock at the front door and headed towards it, already knowing that it was the driver his father had sent. Just as he turned to call Rin, she appeared at his side and he draped one of his coats over her exposed shoulders before they followed the driver out to the car. He withheld a smile as he caught a glimpse of Rin's smooth leg as she slipped into the car and suspected that Rin was going to catch quite a few eyes in that dress.

Half an hour later, the pair were standing beside the car that would wait to take them home after the celebration and Sesshoumaru took the jacket from Rin's shoulders, throwing it on the back seat of the car before they made their way up the steps and into the house. Almost as soon as they entered the room where most of the guests had congregated, the pair were the centre of attention as people approached them to greet them or attempt to start conversations. Sesshoumaru merely nodded politely at everyone and walked through the crowd, keeping his arm firmly around Rin's waist as he looked for his family.

Rin was slightly nervous as she found herself surrounded by so many people, her grip on her shawl tightening as the crowd seemed to part for them. Her eyes landed on a small group of people she knew and she relaxed slightly as they approached. Inu Taisho turned around as they came closer and grinned at them, enveloping Rin in the usual bear hug when she was near enough.

"She's a beauty, Sesh," Inu Taisho said and looked proudly down at his new daughter in law. "I'm going to have to steal her away from you later when the dancing starts."

"We'll see about that," Sesshoumaru replied with a shrug as he wrapped his arm around her waist again.

"I'll be stealing Kagome from you later as well, Inuyasha," Inu Taisho added, turning to look at his younger son.

After talking for a little while the group parted and were soon scattered about the room in the company of others. Sesshoumaru was standing beside Rin as a man from the accounts department was trying to tell him something that he really had no interest in and as he stood there, his attention started to drift when his hand ran over the bare skin of Rin's back. Rin jumped slightly as she felt his fingers caress the small of her back gently, sending shivers running up the length of her spine. A glance up at her husband told her that he was still involved in conversation, but the movements of his fingers against her skin contradicted that theory. She smothered a smile as she remembered his roaming hands before they left the house and wondered what he was planning.

They eventually managed to get away from the man who seemed intent on talking business at a celebration and Sesshoumaru had pulled Rin out onto the dance floor to avoid anymore people bent on talking business with him when he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Rin and leave for the sanctuary of their home, but propriety prevented him from doing so and as a result he had to make do with dancing with her instead. Rin had giggled at him and gladly accepted the silent invitation to dance, relishing the feeling of his arms wrapped around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed happily, jumping slightly when she felt his lips leave tiny kisses on her neck as he manoeuvred them over to the edge of the dance floor where the lights were dimmer. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rin swayed to the music, deliberately moving her hips against his in retaliation for the kisses he continued to place on her neck, smirking when she heard him growl softly at her movements.

Rin knew exactly what her movements did to him and smiled as she leaned away from him to look into his eyes as she moved her hips again. Her eyes gleamed mischievously when she saw his own eyes darken with lust as he gazed down at her. It would be a miracle if they got through the night without anyone noticing their blatant flirtatious teasing, but Rin was never one to back down from a challenge and especially not this kind of challenge when memories of the morning's activities were still fresh in her mind. Giving him a crooked smile, she tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, pressing her breasts into his chest through the thin fabrics of his shirt and her dress. Sesshoumaru growled again and turned his back to the dancing couples as one hand continued to caress her back gently and the other slid down over her hips to her thigh where he located the slit in her dress. Smirking at this discovery, he decided to use this information to his advantage later.

Couples started leaving the floor when the song came to an end and Sesshoumaru reluctantly let go of Rin as they made their way to the table to begin dinner. Rin had become accustomed to the excitable nature of the Takahashi family members and was perfectly happy when she found herself seated between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, although if she was sitting beside Sesshoumaru then she didn't care who sat on her other side, but the fact that it was Inuyasha and not a stranger put her at ease.

While Rin seemed focused on her meal, Sesshoumaru on the other hand decided to put the information he had discovered while dancing with her to good use. There was a pause between courses and everyone relaxed as they chatted amicably, but Sesshoumaru put an arm along the back of Rin's chair in such a way that his hand lingered near her neck and he trailed the tips of his fingers lightly across her skin, not missing her sharp intake of breath. She turned to look at him suspiciously but he merely shrugged in response and smirked at her before turning to reply to something his father said.

Inuyasha was not the most observant of people and his wife often berated him for it, but even he wasn't blind to the obvious flirting between his brother and sister in law. It seemed that everyone else at the table was turning a blind eye, but as he sat beside Rin, he had full view of everything that happened between the pair. Inuyasha had seen the shiver she had tried to suppress when Sesshoumaru caressed her bare neck and he had even seen the way the tips of her brother's fingers crept beneath the back of her dress as he wrapped his arm around her waist. It was amazing to think that his stoic brother was being so affectionate to the petite woman, but he was quite glad that someone had managed to crack Sesshoumaru's shell.

The evening was drawing to a close and Inuyasha was secretly glad as he had noticed that the flirting taking place beside him seemed to have upped a level at some point during the meal. People slowly left until only the family remained at the table, still talking happily amongst themselves. Rin had turned in her seat to get more comfortable and her legs rested across her husband's lap as he held her gently against his chest. Inuyasha had smiled at what he thought to be an innocent seating position and wrapped his arm around his own wife, but his eyes widened as he saw Sesshoumaru's hand discreetly drift up Rin's leg from where it sat on her knee. Closing his eyes tightly, he prayed that what he had just seen was a hallucination, but when he opened his eyes he knew that it was no figment of his imagination as his brother's hand reached her thigh and disappeared beneath the dress to rest against bare flesh. When he saw Rin shudder slightly, he wanted to scratch his eyes out. It was one thing to see his brother married and happy with his wife, but it was something else entirely when Inuyasha was watching his brother quietly seduce his wife in the presence of the rest of the family.

"We should be going," Inuyasha said suddenly, getting to his feet hastily. "It's getting quite late."

"So should we," Sesshoumaru agreed quietly and rose to his feet beside his brother.

Inu Taisho and Izayoi walked to the door with the two couples and waited with them until their cars had arrived to fetch them. As the group stood talking quietly near the door, Sesshoumaru stepped behind Rin and raised a hand to rest on her hip. She smiled at him over her shoulder and turned back to the conversation only to stifle a gasp when she felt his fingers drift across her lower stomach before wrapping his arm around her waist.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha was standing directly opposite them and had seen that movement just as he had seen every other one that evening. At that moment he wished that ground would open up and swallow him where he stood. He was not a shy man by any standards, but there was something about watching his brother's gestures that made him feel like a teenager about to be lectured on the birds and the bees y his parents. He didn't want to know what his brother did with his wife when they were alone, there were some things that siblings just didn't share with each other and this was definitely one of them.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru smiled to himself as he thought about Inuyasha's expressions throughout the night. He had not intended for his brother to see what he did, but it couldn't be helped. Rin had started a game by wearing such a provocative dress and he was merely playing along with her, not really caring about who saw what as he teased her. The pair had sat sedately in the car on the way home, but in the darkness of the car, Sesshoumaru trailed a hand up her leg and beneath her dress, finding himself grateful for the slit in her dress as it made the process so much easier. Rin responded by leaning against him, sighing softly as his hand drifted further up her leg.

"Your hands are wandering again," Rin murmured quietly and smiled up at him.

"It's because of your dress. I can't help it."

Rin laughed and was surprised to see that the journey home hadn't taken as long as she thought it would. She smiled at the driver as she stepped out of the door he held open for her and thanked him before being led away to the house by her husband. She stepped through the door and had just hung her shawl over the back of a nearby chair when she felt hands around her waist. Turning around, she gasped in surprise as she found herself walking backwards until she was pressed against the nearest wall as Sesshoumaru leaned down to ravish her lips. It took her a moment to realise what was happening, but soon enough she was responding with equal fervour as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled them together.

Sesshoumaru grunted approvingly and let his lips trail down to her neck from her lips as his hands ran down her body to her hips before they started moving up over the bare flesh of her back. Rin moaned softly as her head was tilted back against the wall behind her and she tangled her hands in her husband's long silver hair as she felt his hands trail down her body once again. She smirked when she felt one large hand slip through the slit in her dress once again, but her smirk turned to a gasp when two large hands hoisted her up to wrap her long slim legs around his waist. Sesshoumaru's lips trailed down her neck and across her shoulders going lower with each kiss. Another moan escaped Rin's lips as she tightened her grip on his shoulders and arched her back. A hand slid up her side and cupped one breast as his lips returned to her own.

Through all the movements, Rin's hair had tumbled down from the elegant chignon it had been in all evening and her face was flushed as she pressed herself closer to her husband as though she couldn't get enough of his touches. She knew one of her legs was exposed as the slit in her dress caused the fabric to fall away when Sesshoumaru had lifted her off her feet, but she couldn't bring herself to care. They were in their own home after all; no one was going to care about how exposed she may be. When Sesshoumaru's lips trailed back down her neck to her chest, she made short work of the buttons on his shirt and as soon as his shirt hung open, her hands were beneath it and running over the hard planes of his chest. In retaliation, Sesshoumaru's hand drifted to the zipper on her dress and slid it down until the dress threatened to fall from her body.

Smirking, he pulled the front of the dress down to get to what lay beneath and had just lowered his head to her voluptuous breast when there was a loud knock at the door nearby. Rin's eyes opened and landed on the door, cursing the person behind it for interrupting while Sesshoumaru leaned back slightly and pressed a kiss against Rin's neck, all the while hope the annoying person behind the front door would disappear. However, after the person knocked several times to receive no response, the door opened and the person stepped inside, trying to adjust their eyes to the dim light.

"I'm this is late, Sesh," Inuyasha said, his voice slightly irritable as his eyes fell on his brother's silver hair in the faint light. "There's something I needed to talk to you…"

Trailing away midsentence, Inuyasha looked closer at his brother and he once again wanted to scratch his eyes out as he took in the scene in front of him. His brother had his back to him, but from where he stood, Inuyasha could see Rin standing between his brother and the wall with her legs wrapped around Sesshoumaru's waist. He paled and turned away as he tried to erase the image from his mind. Sesshoumaru growled softly and lowered Rin to the floor, draping a nearby jacket over her shoulders to hide her semi-clothed state from his brother. After wrapping an arm around Rin and pulling her against his chest, Sesshoumaru turned to Inuyasha and smirked.

"What did you want Inuyasha?" he asked in a cold voice.

"Someone mentioned something to me at the party earlier that I thought you might like to know," the younger brother replied, turning around to find the couple decent or partially decent as his brother's shirt hung open.

"Even if it's important, I suggest you come back tomorrow because I'm sure you can see that I'm rather preoccupied at the moment," Sesshoumaru suggested, smirking at his brother and leaned down to press his lips against Rin's neck again.

"Uh, yeah."

Without another word, Inuyasha was out the door and Sesshoumaru was willing to bet that his brother would wait for the door to be answered in this house next time he visited. Smirking, he turned back to Rin and took the coat from her shoulders, lifting her up off her feet again moments later. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he started up the stairs.

"I hope that was too off putting," Sesshoumaru murmured as he lowered her onto their bed.

"No, but I'm quite tired," Rin replied, the mischievous glint back in her eyes as she looked up at him. "I think I may go to bed."

"I don't think so."

Rin laughed as Sesshoumaru frowned at her and growled slightly before leaning down and ravishing her lips. Despite the interruption, she had enjoyed the evening and was very glad she bought this dress. As the dress was stripped off her, she giggled again. If this was the way the evening would end after a celebration, then she hoped that they would be attending many more in the future.


	10. Chapter 10

"_**There is no love without forgiveness and there is no forgiveness without love."**_

**- Bryant H. McGill -**

**Chapter X**

It had been a month since Yuri and Akira had issued Rin with papers saying that they were going to disown her if she refused to cooperate with their plans and Rin had yet to hear anything from anyone about what had happened, but had pushed thoughts of it to the back of her mind. She had no reason to worry about what they thought of her now that she knew the real reason for them adopting her. It hurt her a great deal knowing that she was going to lose people she had relied on since she was a child, but Rin had become clever at hiding her emotions and saw no reason to dwell on the situation too much. It would only cause her upset which Sesshoumaru would inevitably discover and he would worry about her. A smile came to her face whenever she thought of her husband. He tried very hard to hide how much he cared for her and how much he worried about her, but it was glaringly obvious to her and it was so endearing that it could always bring a smile to her lips whenever she thought about it.

However, that all changed one day when Rin was alone at the house while Sesshoumaru was at work. It had been a quiet day and Rin was enjoying the peace and quiet before deciding to go out and spend some time in the garden since the weather was slowly improving. Just before she stepped out the door, the phone started ringing loudly and she made her way over to it, wondering who it could be. It would definitely not be someone for Sesshoumaru since he was at work and it was unlikely to be someone for her, but she supposed she should find out anyway.

"Hello?"

"Rin?"

"Papa?"

There was a moment of silence as Rin came to terms with the person on the phone. Akira Ishikawa had phoned her and she had just called him 'papa.' She wanted to slam the phone down and run away, she had nothing to say to him despite the fact that she knew he had little to do with the way things had turned out between them. Gathering her wits, she steeled her nerve and waited to see what he would say.

"Was there something you wanted?" she asked after the silence stretched on too long for comfort.

"I'm sorry to call you out of the blue like this," Akira said, sounding apologetic and slightly distressed. "There is something I must speak with you about, it's rather important."

"What is it?"

"I would rather not discuss it on the phone; it may make the situation worse. Would you meet with me?"

"Ah, I suppose it couldn't hurt," Rin replied uncertainly.

After taking down the details of where they would meet the next day, Rin sat down heavily on the sofa and sighed. Akira had sounded very serious and it piqued her curiosity. He was rarely serious around her so this behaviour was unusual for him. There was a part of her mind that was convinced that this was another plot of her mother's, but another part wanted to believe that Akira would not deceive her like that. Rin was at a loss and decided that she would simply talk it over with Sesshoumaru when he returned that evening. That would put her mind at ease.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

After discussing the situation with Sesshoumaru the night before, Rin's mind had indeed been put at ease and she had been encouraged to see what the man wanted. Now she stood outside the restaurant where she was supposed to meet her father and wondered if she had made the right decision. Unfortunately, she couldn't back out now and she had no choice but to go inside since she knew that her father had probably already been informed that she was standing outside. Heavily a great sigh, Rin reluctantly stepped into the cool interior of the very traditional restaurant that her father seemed to favour and allowed a nearby waitress to guide her over to where he sat. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw him and noted how much thinner and unhealthy he looked. There was a serious expression on his face that she had never seen before and he seemed to have aged suddenly.

"Ah, Rin," he nodded politely to her and gave her a weak smile as she sat down opposite him.

"Akira," she returned his nod, determined not to give in to the temptation of calling him 'papa' again.

"I'm sorry for calling you here," Akira said quietly, picking up his tea cup and taking a sip. "I know that I'm probably one of the last people you want to see, but this is important."

"What is this about?"

"There are some things that I must tell you and that I should have told you sooner."

"Oh?" Rin raised an eyebrow and then smiled at the waitress who served her a cup of tea.

"Contrary to what Yuri might have said, you were not adopted purely for the reason she gave you."

"What does that mean?" Rin asked, frowning as she tried to understand. She had known from a young age why she had been adopted although she hadn't wanted to believe it.

"It was I who chose you, not Yuri, and I chose you because I wanted a daughter. I wanted a daughter to spoil and cherish since I knew having one with Yuri would never happen."

"I thought you couldn't have children?"

Akira grimaced. "I can have children if I wished; I would have to find someone willing to bear an old man's child first though."

"I don't understand, you're married."

"Rin, I did not marry Yuri out of choice. It was an arranged marriage just like yours except that unlike yours, ours did not end up being a happy marriage."

"I see."

"We have been married nearly thirty years. We have never shared the same bed and not even two separate beds in the same room."

Rin stared at him in surprise, trying to come to terms with what she was hearing. It was indeed very different from what Yuri had said about the reasons for adopting her. She pitied him as she considered how lucky she had been with her arranged marriage when she compared it to his. He had always been kind to her even though there had been moments when they had had arguments, she was sure that it was Yuri who had been the cause. Akira was a gentle man and Rin was sure that he would not hurt her intentionally if he could avoid it.

"While that's very interesting and I'm touched by your reasons for adopting me," Rin started, frowning as she looked into her now empty cup. "Surely you did not call me here just to tell me that? It seems a rather long journey to undergo for a ten minute conversation."

Akira laughed. "You were always very clever, Rin. You are correct; there is something else I wish to discuss."

Silence fell over the pair for a few minutes while Akira asked for more tea to be served. Rin watched him carefully and noted that his expression was now so serious that it frightened her slightly. For him to be that serious, whatever she was about to be told, she suspected she wasn't going to like it at all.

"Now, as you know Yuri is bent on disowning you because of your refusal," Akira said seriously. "However, she has decided that she will not do so immediately. For what reason she has done this, I cannot say. I'm not privy to her plans until the time comes to put them into action."

"Why are you telling me this?" Rin asked suspiciously before her eyes widened at the soft look in the man's eyes as he looked across the table at her.

"I'm telling you because I care about you. I have no desire to lose you as my daughter, but it seems that Yuri is going to take that decision from my hands. I do not wish to see you hurt and it seems that the devil I call my wife is plotting something devious. Like I said, I cannot tell you what, but I called you here to warn you."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"I see," Sesshoumaru murmured quietly as Rin told him what had happened.

"I'm not sure if I should believe him," she said sadly.

Rin sighed and rolled onto her back in the enormous bed they shared. Sesshoumaru looked down at her from where he sat propped up against his pillows and couldn't help but smile to himself. Instead of the usual clothes she wore to bed, she had chosen a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt tonight, why she had done so was beyond him, but he wasn't going to complain. From his current seating position, he had a very nice view, but he decided not to act on his thoughts as she would probably not be very happy. Sighing regretfully, he put aside his book and turned on his side to look at her. Rin opened her eyes when she felt him turn and she smiled up at him as he pulled her close.

"Don't worry about it," he said quietly, running his fingers through her hair. "We will deal with anything that happens."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was two days after Rin's meeting with Akira that Sesshoumaru came home from work in the middle of the day for the sole purpose of finding Rin. She had looked up in surprise when he stepped out into the garden where she had been reading and began to wonder why he was home so early as he walked across the grass to where she sat. She smiled at him and stood up when he came close only to gasp moments later when she was pulled against him and strong arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Is there anything wrong?" she asked in concern when he finally released her.

"My father requires a meeting with both of us," Sesshoumaru said quietly, looking down at her seriously. "I don't know what it's about, but it seems to be urgent."

Sesshoumaru didn't speak again until they got to his father's house, knowing that there was nothing he could say that would ease the anxiety Rin was no doubt feeling. It pained him to think that there was little he could do to ease it, but he could only stand beside her and protect her as best he could from anyone who dared hurt her. When they stepped into Inu Taisho's office, his eyes widened to find both Yuri and Akira sitting on the sofa on the opposite side of the office. Inu Taisho nodded a greeting towards them and gestured that they take a seat before he cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry to have called you here so suddenly," he said to Sesshoumaru and Rin with an apologetic look. "There seems to be a rather important matter to discuss."

Inu Taisho gestured towards the Ishikawa couple and Yuri looked up, her eyes gleaming with a light that made Sesshoumaru narrow his eyes suspiciously. Akira remained still, his head propped up by the hand against his forehead and his eyes closed. He gave the impression that he truly had no desire to be sitting in this office and Sesshoumaru had to agree with Rin's description of him as he realised that the older man definitely looked unwell.

"The papers have yet to be processed, Rin," Yuri said, her voice very cheerful for a woman who was talking about disowning her only daughter. "We will give you another chance."

"Another chance to do what?" Rin asked, irritation beginning to grow within her.

"To prove yourself worthy of being a member of this family," Yuri continued as though she had not heard Rin's question. "You know of what I speak."

"I do," Rin agreed before narrowing her eyes at the woman she had once called her mother. "But I will have no part of it."

The trio of men who sat in the room chose wisely to remain silent. Sesshoumaru merely slipped his arm around Rin's waist while Inu Taisho nodded approvingly at the gesture. The older man looked ready to jump to Rin's defence in a moment, but decided to remain out of the conversation. Akira on the other hand had begun to shake slightly and his hands had clenched to fists as he listened silently to the conversation. It was obvious for all to see, except perhaps Yuri, that he cared deeply for the girl and what was happening in front of him pained him.

"Now, now," Yuri said calmly. "You should at least consider the offer."

"I don't need to," Rin replied, anger seeping in her usually cheerful voice. ""I have already refused three times, how many more times do I have to refuse before you understand that I want no part in your scheming?"

"Then you leave me with no choice."

Rin stiffened beside Sesshoumaru and he looked across the room to his father who was now frowning, not sure what was going to happen next. Everyone watched silently as Yuri reached into her bag and withdrew a wad of neatly folded paper which she placed on her lap.

"We are still your parents and still have a rightful say in how you live your life," Yuri said with a cold smile.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rin asked, getting impatient. "You can no longer order me to do as you wish; I live my own life now."

"That may be so, but we are willing to compromise."

"What does this compromise entail?" Inu Taisho asked, deciding that he didn't like the turn the conversation had taken.

Yuri smiled at him and picked up the wad of paper. "We are willing to forgive the way you have behaved and let you return to the family, Rin."

"What do I have to do in return?" Rin asked immediately suspicious. "You never offer anything if you don't gain something in some way."

"Very true," the plump woman agreed and then she pointed at Sesshoumaru. "You may return to the family if you divorce this man and agree to marry another."

Silence fell on the room as everyone stared at her in disbelief. Inu Taisho's frown turned to a scowl. He may not have any rightful say in Rin's decision, but he was not happy about this arrangement and he intended to make his displeasure known. Sesshoumaru had not reacted visibly, but the arm around Rin's waist had tightened and she could feel his racing heart against her back.

"Neither you nor he wanted to be married, but we forced you into it regardless with your best interests at heart," Yuri continued, ignoring the glare Inu Taisho was sending her way. "Your father and I have decided that he is not suitable for you and we will find you a better husband."

Akira's hands fell to hang limply in front of him as he looked up when he was mentioned and the expression on his face was nothing short of frightening. Rin inwardly flinched, she had never seen him that angry before and it was not pleasant to see the usually cheerful man so upset. She could see that Inu Taisho wore a similar expression but she could only guess at Sesshoumaru's. He was clearly angry, his racing heart was proof enough of that, but she knew that she had to sort this situation out before it got out of control.

"You must think I'm stupid," Rin said calmly, looking at her mother with an unreadable expression.

"I did not imply that," Yuri denied immediately.

"I'm not blind to the fact that Akira has no say in any of these decisions. I've known this for a long time and yet you still think you can fool me with statements like that?"

"I am not trying to fool you, Rin. I'm telling you the truth."

Rin shook her head. "I don't believe you, but regardless of whether you are being truthful or not, I will not accept your offer."

For the first time that afternoon, Yuri faltered and she stared at Rin in surprise. Akira smiled brightly at her from across the room and Rin smiled slightly in response. Her smile grew when she felt Sesshoumaru take her hand in his and squeeze it gently. Turning her attention back to Yuri, the smile fell from her face and she frowned.

"You will be disowned then," Yuri said hastily, trying to regain her composure.

"So be it."

"Your inheritance will be given to another."

"I don't care. I never wanted your money, I told you that from the beginning," Rin said irritably. "I will not sign your divorce papers and I will not agree to marry another man."

"This is foolish!" Yuri exclaimed, rising to her feet and pointing a shaky finger at Rin. "You cannot possibly be happy with your life as it is!"

Rin frowned. "Just because your arranged marriage failed doesn't mean that mine will."

"H-How did you know that?" Yuri stuttered in surprise before glaring at Akira who merely shrugged as a small smile pulled his lips.

"How I know makes no difference," Rin said quietly. "This conversation is over. I will not accept your offer."

Behind the fuming Yuri, Akira picked up the papers she had dropped and passed them across to Inu Taisho who had a look on his face that made Sesshoumaru suspicious. He watched as his father made a great show of opening drawers as though looking for something before he lifted the papers back onto his desk and catching Yuri's attention.

"If that is how it is, please sign these papers," Inu Taisho requested politely as he held out a pen towards the plump woman.

"What are they?"

"Simply something that says you will no longer approach Rin or anyone in this family, read it if you must."

Yuri narrowed her eyes at the man behind the desk before picking up the papers and reading through the first page. Sesshoumaru watched in confusion. Had Akira not just handed his father the divorce papers? Did his father really think he was going to fool the woman with that lie? His eyes widened as Yuri finished reading the first page and seemed satisfied as she then picked up the pen offered to her and signed the bottom of the page and then all the other sheets were Inu Taisho requested.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Inu Taisho said as he rose to his feet and handed the papers to Akira who stood nearby.

"Why are you giving those to him? What does he need them for?" Yuri demanded.

"It is quite simple, dear," Akira interrupted with a vague smile. "I'm asking for a divorce."

"Don't be foolish," Yuri scoffed. "I would never sign such papers."

"But you already have, dear."

Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru as though hoping he could shed light on the situation but when he returned her confused look, she knew they could only watch as the situation unfolded. Yuri stood in front of Inu Taisho's enormous desk gaping like a fish and struggling to comprehend the situation, but when he saw everyone's confusion, Inu Taisho decided to explain.

"You see, Akira is a good friend of mine and your conniving and domineering ways have bothered me since I first met you," Inu Taisho addressed Yuri, not bothering to be polite. "The situation you currently find yourself in is entirely of your own making. You brought the divorce papers with you, but you didn't pay close enough attention to where they were when you stood up. What you have signed were in fact divorce papers."

"But the page I read said nothing about that! It said exactly what you said it would!" Yuri said slowly, shock making her face pale.

"That is because you also signed a paper that will not allow you to come near anyone in this family."

"You tricked me!"

"It is not my problem if you did not read through all that papers," Inu Taisho said with a nonchalant shrug. "All that's left is for Akira to sign them."

"You wouldn't do that!" Yuri exclaimed, turning her attention to her husband.

Akira didn't even reply but instead picked up the pen and signed just below Yuri's signature. Inu Taisho picked up the paper and folded it neatly before tucking it away in the pocket of his suit with a grin. With a howl of despair, Yuri fled from the room leaving everyone staring after her silently.

"Problem solved," Inu Taisho said cheerfully as he clapped Akira on the back with a grin.

"There is one matter I would like to resolve while we are all present," Akira said seriously before smiling at Rin. "With Yuri out of the picture now, you will not be disowned. You may remain in the family if you wish."

In the blink of an eye, Rin was out of her seat and standing on the other side of the room wrapped in her father's arms. Akira could only smile as he waited for her tears to subside. He kissed her cheek gently when she finally fell quiet and pushed her back towards Sesshoumaru who was now on his feet beside his father's desk.

"Now that all these problems have been resolved," Akira started with a smile.

"When can we start expecting a grandchild?" Inu Taisho asked with a grin.

Sesshoumaru shook his head at them and withheld a smile at their behaviour as Rin giggled beside him. His father's mischievous ways were hard enough to deal with but it seemed that Akira had that same mischievous streak which meant that their lives were bound to get very interesting in the future.

"We'll let you know," Sesshoumaru replied with a smirk as he led Rin out of the room, leaving their grinning fathers alone in the office.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Were you serious about what you said earlier?" Rin asked sleepily several hours later as she beside him, a strong arm wrapped around her.

"About what?" Sesshoumaru asked, lifting his eyes from his book to the woman beside him.

"A child."

"Perfectly serious," he replied and then frowned slightly. "There is something I have been considering though."

"What's that?"

"Would you like to adopt a child?"

"Instead of having yours?" Rin asked, frowning as she looked up at him, not sure if she liked the idea.

"We need not restrict ourselves to one child, Rin."

"You mean have one of our own and adopt one?" she asked, a smile coming to her face.

"Exactly."

"I like the idea."

Sesshoumaru nodded, inwardly pleased that his idea had been accepted. He put aside his book and stretched before turning off the light and pulling her against him. Rin giggled as he placed tiny kisses on her neck.

"We should get started then," Sesshoumaru murmured huskily into her ear before ravishing her lips.

He met no resistance and Rin couldn't think straight enough to argue even if she had wanted to. Her initial thoughts on having bad luck because her family was wealthy were suddenly replaced as she felt Sesshoumaru lips move down her neck slowly. She had met this man because of her family's wealth and she couldn't be happier knowing that she would spend her life with him. Perhaps coming from a wealthy family was more of a blessing than a curse after all.


End file.
